Georgian lari
The lari (Georgian: ლარი ; ISO 4217:GEL) is the national currency of Georgia. It is divided into 100 tetri.
For earlier Georgian currency, see ruble and abazi.
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Kupon Lari
Georgia replaced the Russian ruble in 1993 with kupon lari at par. This currency consisted only of banknotes, had no subdivisions and suffered from hyperinflation.
Lari
On October 2, 1995 , the government of Eduard Shevardnadze replaced the provisional coupon currency with the lari, at a rate of one million to one. It has remained fairly stable since then. As of December 2005, the exchange rate is about US$1 = 1.78 GEL.
The name lari is an old Georgian word denoting a hoard, property, whilst tetri is an old Georgian monetary term used from the thirteenth century.
Georgian banknotes are denominated in units of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lari, and coins are issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetri.
Banknotes
1 Lari - Georgian fine artist Niko Pirosmani
2 Lari - Georgian music composer Zakaria Paliashvili
5 Lari - Historian Ivane Javakhishvili
10 Lari - Famous poet Akaki Tsereteli
20 Lari - Famous Georgian statesman and writer, "Father of the Georgian people" Ilia Chavchavadze
50 Lari - Famous Georgian queen Tamar
100 Lari - Poet Shota Rustaveli
200 Lari (draft, not yet in currency) - Georgian soldier and anti-Soviet leader (1921-24) Kakutsa Cholokashvili
500 Lari (only in interfinancial relations) - Greatest Georgian king David the Builder
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