The lempira (, sign: L, ISO 4217 code: HNL;) is the currency of Honduras. It is subdivided into 100 centavos.

Etymology

The lempira was named after the 16th-century '' cacique'' Lempira, a ruler of the

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Lenca people The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they un ...

, who is renowned in Honduran folklore for leading the local native resistance against the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

'' conquistador'' forces. He is a national hero and is honored on both the 1 lempira note and the 20 and 50 centavos coins.

History

The lempira was introduced in 1931, replacing the

peso The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...

at par. In the late 1980s, the exchange rate was two lempiras to the

United States dollar The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...

(the 20-centavos coin is called a ''daime'' as it was worth the same as a U.S. dime). As of April 4, 2022, the lempira was quoted at 24.40 HNL to US$1.

Coins

In 1931, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 20 & 50 centavos, and 1 lempira. One, 2 and 10 centavos coins were added in 1935, 1939 and 1932, respectively. The silver 1 lempira coins ceased production in 1937, with the other silver coins (20 & 50 centavos) replaced by cupro-nickel in 1967. The 1 and 2 centavos coins were last minted in 1998 and 1974, respectively. Coins currently in circulation are *5 centavos *10 centavos *20 centavos *50 centavos

Banknotes

The Bank of Honduras and the Banco Atlantida issued the first lempira banknotes in 1932. They were in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 lempiras. The Central Bank of Honduras took over production of paper money in 1950, introducing 50 and 100 lempiras notes in 1950, followed by the 500-lempiras note in 1995. In January, 2010, a new 20-lempira note was introduced to market made by a polymer base, 60 million notes were issued. In celebration of the Bicentennial anniversary of Honduras's independence, a new 200 lempira bill was issued. It features 2

scarlet macaw The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') is a large red, yellow, and blue Central and South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of the Neotropics. Its range extends from ...

s, the national bird of Honduras. Banknotes in circulation are

Exchange rates

References

External links

The banknotes of Honduras
{{Portal bar, Central America, Honduras, Money, Numismatics Currencies of Honduras Currencies of Central America Currencies introduced in 1931 Currency symbols