Pictured: 100-pound note, acquired in Latakia in 2006
A previous version of Syria’s 100-pound note depicts the ancient Roman emperor hailing from Syria, Philip the Arab, who made peace with pre-Islamic Persia – pointing to Syria and Iran’s shared history dating back to classical antiquity. To Philip’s left on the note is the theater of Bosra, an exquisitely preserved Roman engineering marvel.
The Syrian pound's value has been devastated since the uprising began in March 2011, and its printer, a subsidiary of the Austrian central bank, was forced to quit producing it because of European Union sanctions on the Assad regime. A Russian state currency printing firm is reportedly now printing the Syrian pound.
