Contents

Sahrawi peseta

Currency in Western Sahara

Sahrawi peseta

البيزيتا الصحراوي (Arabic) Peseta saharaui (Spanish)
ISO 4217
Code	None (EHP is used in commerce)
Unit
Symbol	₧‎ (rare, see Spanish peseta) Ptas.
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	céntimo
Coins	1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500 pesetas
Demographics
User(s)	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Issuance
Central bank	Polisario Front
Valuation
Pegged with	Euro (166.386 pesetas = €1)

The Sahrawi peseta (Arabic: البيزيتا الصحراوي, Spanish: Peseta saharaui) is the de jure currency of the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It is divided in 100 céntimos, although coins with this denomination have never been minted, nor have banknotes been printed.

The first Sahrawi pesetas were minted in 1990,^[1] but they were not adopted as the national coin of Western Sahara until 1997. As this territory is mostly controlled by Morocco, the circulating currency in that part of the country is the Moroccan dirham, with Algerian dinars and Mauritanian ouguiyas circulating alongside the Sahrawi peseta in the Sahrawi refugee camps and the SADR-controlled part of Western Sahara.

As it is not an official currency and not circulating, the exchange rate is not realistic. Despite this, the Sahrawi peseta was pegged at par to the Spanish peseta^[1] and, when the latter was phased out for the euro, the rate became €1 for 166.386 Pts.

Coins[edit]

Non-commemorative coins are supposedly designated for circulation. They are made from cupronickel. The denominations are: 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 pesetas.

Denomination	Year	Metal	Diameter (mm.)	Weight (gr.)	Obverse	Reverse	Image
1 Peseta	1992	Cu+Ni	17.00	2.99	Bedouin and dromedary TRANSPORTE TIPICO النقل التقليدي	Value Coat of Arms REPUBLICA ARABE SAHARAUI DEMOCRATICA
2 Pesetas	1992	Cu+Ni	20.00	3.51	Bedouin and dromedary TRANSPORTE TIPICO النقل التقليدي	Value Coat of Arms REPUBLICA ARABE SAHARAUI DEMOCRATICA
5 Pesetas	1992	Cu+Ni	21.00		Bedouin and dromedary TRANSPORTE TIPICO النقل التقليدي	Value Coat of Arms REPUBLICA ARABE SAHARAUI DEMOCRATICA
50 Pesetas	1990	Cu+Ni	24.40	6.4	Bedouin and dromedary TRANSPORTE TIPICO النقل التقليدي	Value Coat of Arms REPUBLICA ARABE SAHARAUI DEMOCRATICA

There have also been commemorative issues in copper, silver and gold, as some of those shown here:

• 
  Gold 40,000 pesetas. 15th Anniversary of diplomatic relations with Venezuela (1997)

See also[edit]

• Algerian dinar
• Mauritanian ouguiya
• Moroccan dirham
• Spanish peseta

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Catalog of the coins of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Numista)

Money

Numismatics