...Libya - 5 Dinars Commemorative 10th Anniversary of February 17th Revolution Polymer 2011-2021

ليبيا

Libya

 

 مصرف ليبيا المركزي

(Central Bank of Libya)

Currency - Dinar (LYD)

 

This is a five dinars polymer commemorative note released on 15.02.2021. The announcement for the release of this note was made on 14.02.2021. This note was issued to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Libyan civil war which officially started on 17.02.2011, which saw the beginning of the fall off the regime of Colonel Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi (b.1942-2011). 

 

In 1969, at the age of 27, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi deposed the King of Libya, Idris I (Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi (b.1889-1983) and installed himself as the new Ruler of Libya. Since then, he ruled the country as a dictator for 42 years. In early February 2011, due to government corruption and shortage in housing, protesters broke out and began occupying government buildings. As the protests, unrest and confrontations continued to grow and soon became nicknamed the Libyan Revolution. The Libyan Revolution formed part of the wider Arab Spring which also saw anti-government protests in the Arab world, which led to the fall of the governments of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya.

After more than 10 months of fighting, on 20.10.2011, it was reported that Colonel Gaddafi was hiding in the Sirte district, about 460 kilometers east of Tripoli. It was then reported that he then tried to leave Sirte in a convoy. The convoy was then spotted by NATO bombers and managed to destroy 14 of the vehicles. The rebels from the National Transitional Council spotted the convoy and started to attack them too. Colonel Gaddafi was then injured during the gun battle and later died in the hospital. Following the death of Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan Revolution officially ended on 23.10.2011. The toppling of Colonel Gaddafi would not have succeeded without the help of NATO and other foreign powers.

This is the second polymer note issued by the Central Bank of Libya. The first polymer note issued was the 1 dinar and was released on 18.02.2019. This note also celebrated the 8th Anniversary of the beginning of the Libyan Revolution.

 

During the reign of Colonel Gaddafi between 1969 and 2011, only three denominations of banknotes were issued with the image or portrait of himself. The first one was the 1 dinar nd1988, and then followed by the 20 dinars nd2002 commemorating the Organisation of African Unity when Libya was the host nation, and the third note was the 50 dinars nd2008. 

Signature - Governor Al-Seddiq Muammur al-Kabir

Dimensions: 136mm x 68mm

 

Five Dinars

Front - Ottoman Clock Tower in Tripoli. Situated in the city of Ottoman, it is believed that this clock tower was built in 1870 during the occupation by the Ottoman empire. The Ottoman empire ruled Libya from 1551 to 1912, and then took over by the Italian, after the defeat of the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912). I believe the tower is painted in white colour or perhaps in creamy colour.the tower is located in the Tarabulus district in Tripoli.

Back - Temple of Zeus in Cyrene is a historical site, first built by the Romans in the 6th century BC. The temple was then rebuilt again in the 2nd century AD after it was destroyed by a revolt in 115 AD. In the 4th century AD, again it was destroyed, but this time by an earthquake and since then, no attempt has been carried out to either repair or rebuild the temple again. Cyrene is just an archeological ruins site situated near the village of Shahhat, northeast of Libya. In 2017, this site was listed as a World Heritage in Danger by UNESCO.