Lira

For other uses, see Lira (disambiguation).

1 Turkish Lira

	M. Kemal Ataturk

1 Italian lira 1863

Victor Emmanuel II	Coat of arms of the House of Savoy

Lira (plural lire) is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and Syria. It is the former currency of Italy, Malta, San Marino and the Vatican City, all of which were replaced in 2002 with the euro, and of Israel, which replaced it with the old shekel in 1980. The term originates from the value of a Troy pound (Latin libra) of high purity silver. The libra was the basis of the monetary system of the Roman Empire. When Europe resumed a monetary system, during the Carolingian Empire, the Roman system was adopted, the so-called £sd (librae, solidi, denarii).

Particularly this system was kept during the Middle Ages and Modern Age in England, France, and Italy. In each of these countries the libra was translated into local language: pound in England, livre in France, lira in Italy. The Venetian lira was one of the currencies in use in Italy and due to the economic power of the Venetian Republic a popular currency in the Eastern Mediterranean trade.

During the 19th century, Egypt and the Ottoman Empire adopted the lira as their national currency, equivalent to 100 piasters or kuruş. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in years 1918-1922, many among the successor states kept the lira as their national currency. In some countries, such as Cyprus, which have belonged to both empires, the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire, the words lira and pound are used as equivalents.

For Turkish lira, the Turkish lira sign () is used. Otherwise L, sometimes in a double-crossed script form (₤) or less often single-crossed (£), is usually used as the symbol (occasionally a plain capital "L" crossed by a bar is used).^[1]

Current uses

Turkey

The Turkish lira was introduced in 1844 during Ottoman reign. Turkish Lira is now the currency of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Lebanon

The Lebanese pound is called "lira" in national language of Lebanon, Arabic.

Syria

The Syrian pound is called "lira" in national language of Syria, Arabic.

Jordan

A widely used name of Jordanian dinar is lira.

Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia

The Bulgarian and Romanian languages refer to the English pound as lira (or occasionally paund ) in opposition to Croatian which refers to the Italian currency as lira

Former currencies

Cyprus pound (called "lira" in Greek)
Israeli lira
Italian lira
Italian East African lira
Italian Somaliland lira
Maltese lira
Neapolitan lira
Sammarinese lira
Tripolitanian lira
Vatican lira
Pound (currency), translated "lira" in some languages
French livre cognate
Turkish lira cognate

Footnotes

↑ Typewriter and computer keyboards of British origin provide this symbol while basic American keyboards do not thus making abbreviation inconvenient.

External links

Overview of Italian lira from the BBC

Currencies named pound or similar

Current	Pound sterling: (Alderney pound • Falkland Islands pound • Gibraltar pound • Guernsey pound • Jersey pound • Manx pound • Saint Helena pound) Egyptian pound Lebanese pound South Sudanese pound Sudanese pound Syrian pound Turkish lira

Local alternative currency	Bristol Pound Brixton Pound Lewes Pound Stroud Pound Totnes Pound

Defunct	Anglo-Saxon pound Australian pound Bahamian pound Bermudian pound Biafran pound British West African pound Canadian pound Connecticut pound Cypriot pound Delaware pound Fijian pound French livre French colonial livre Gambian pound Georgia pound Ghanaian pound Haitian livre Irish pound Israeli lira Italian lira Jamaican pound Japanese government-issued Oceanian Pound Libyan pound Livre tournois Lombardy-Venetia pound Luccan pound Malawian pound Maltese pound Maltese lira Maryland pound Massachusetts pound New Brunswick pound New France livre New Guinean pound New Hampshire pound New Jersey pound New York pound New Zealand pound Newfoundland pound Nigerian pound North Carolina pound Nova Scotian pound Oceanian pound Ottoman lira Palestine pound Papal lira Paris livre Parman lira Pennsylvania pound Pound Scots Prince Edward Island pound Rhode Island pound Rhodesian pound Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound Sammarinese lira Sardinian lira Solomon Islands pound South Carolina pound Southern Rhodesian pound South African pound South African Republic pound South West African pound Tongan pound Tuscan pound Vatican lira Virginia pound West Indian pound Western Samoan pound Zambian pound

See also	Dinar Pound sign Troy pound

Coordinates: 2°14′N 32°54′E / 2.233°N 32.900°E / 2.233; 32.900

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