20 new shekel banknote
(Israel) | |
---|---|
Value | ₪20 |
Width | 71 mm |
Height | 138 mm |
Years of printing |
Series B: 1999-present, Series A: 1988-1999 |
Obverse | |
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Design | Portrait of Moshe Sharett; picture of the ceremony of the unfurling of the Israeli flag at the UN building on 12 May 1949; text from the speech given by Sharett on that occasion. |
Design date | Series B: 3 January 1999 |
Reverse | |
Design | Picture of Jewish Brigade volunteers during WW II and of a pre-State look-out tower; text from Sharett's radio address after his return from a visit to the Jewish Brigade in Italy. |
Designer | Naomi Rosner and Meir Eshel |
The twenty new shekel note (₪20) is the lowest value banknote of the Israeli new shekel, It was first issued in Series A 1988 with the Series B in 1999.[1][2]
Design
Design in New Shekel Series B
Security features
- Latent image: A triangle in the right-hand corner.
- Watermark: Portrait of Moshe Sharett and a small circle beneath it enclosing the initial of his surname (in Hebrew).
- Security thread: Threaded through the paper below the middle of the note.
- Microtext: To the right of the main text with titles of seven books written by Moshe Sharett.
- Optical Variable Ink: A triangle composed of small squares, with the apex pointing to the right.
- See-through: A small triangle printed on either side of the note; the two triangles form a precise Star of David.
- Serial numbers: Once in olive-green and once in black which reflects UV light.
Polymer Edition
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The additional red text on the polypropylene note (in reverse) reads "60 Years of the State of Israel" in Hebrew in red ink. It was only featured in a 1.8 million limited run close to the noted anniversary and is not present on a majority of notes.
It was Made of polypropylene, a polymer substrate, which is superior to the current paper note with a circulation life of a few months only. The polymer note is printed by Orell Füssli Security Printing of Zürich, Switzerland.
Design in New Shekel Series A

Observe
Portrait of Moshe Sharett; below, in a line legible under a magnifying glass, the titles of his seven books; the ceremony of the unfurling of the Israeli flag by Sharett at the U.N. building in 1949; the denomination "Twenty New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.
Reserve
Original building of the Herzlia high school where Sharett studied; a background of Little Tel Aviv; the denomination "20 New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.
Security Features
- Watermark: Portrait of Moshe Sharett.
- Security thread: In the middle of the note.
- Look-through: Six small triangles on the front merge with two rhombi and two triangles on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.
Circulation
The current ₪20 in circulation is the Series B issued from 1999, it measures 71 x 138 mm with a green color scheme. The ₪20 Series A bank notes were issued from 1988 to 1999 and measured 76 x 138 mm with a dark gray scheme. The ₪20 Series A bank notes were withdrawn from circulation by 2005.