Time Period: 1847-1891

Currency: Tunisian Piastre (Riyal)


Timeline

  • 06.07.1847
  • AH:22.06.1263
  • Bey's decree on the currency reform based on the Piastre (Riyal) in silver; effective 03.09.1847 [AH:22.09.1263] by confirmation by the Turkish Sultan
  • 03.09.1847
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 03.09.1847: Start of issuance of the new coinage
    - ??.??.????: Demonetization of the Ottoman currency
  • 23.10.1855
  • AH:11.02.1272
  • Bey's decree on the transition to the bimetallic standard; effective immediately (?).
    - 26.06.1856 (AH:22.10.1272): Bey's decree on the reduction of the gold-to-silver ratio (weight increase of the gold coins); effective immediately (?)
    - 21.04.1872 (AH:12.02.1289): Bey's decree on the reduction of the gold-to-silver ratio to the French standard (weight reduction of the silver coins); effective immediately (?)
  • 23.10.1855
  • Start of issuance of the new gold coins in the 1855 standard
    - 26.06.1856: Start of issuance of the gold coins in the revised 1856 standard
    - 06.07.1856: Demonetization of the gold coins in the 1855 standard.
  • 30.05.1878
  • AH:28.05.1295
  • Bey's decree on a devaluation of gold coins below 25 Piastres and all silver coins below their denomination; effective immediately:
    - Gold: 10 Piastres were reduced to 9¾ Piastres [-2.5%]; Silver: 4 Piastres were reduced to 3¼ Piastres [-6.25%]
    - 07.07.1878 (AH:07.07.1295): End of exchange period (originally 30 days, then extended) during which coin holders could present the devaluated coins for countermarking ("star") and were entitled to a compensation that was to be paid out within 4 weeks; aferwards, all coins with or without countermark were devalued.
  • 1858-1881
  • Revision of the copper coinage:
    - 03.08.1858 (AH:22.12.1274): Ordinance on the reduction by 50% of the weight of the copper coins (earlier coins were countermarked with the revised denomination); effective immediately
    - 24.03.1864 (AH:15.10.1280): Ordinance on the issuance of new copper coins (at 8 Kharub per 30 grams copper); issuance started on 24.05.1866 (AH:09.01.1283) and the old coins were to be exchanged within 3 months
    - 19.12.1866 (AH:11.08.1283): Ordinance on the 2-step devaluation of the 1864 copper coins by 75% (to 2 Kharub per 30 grams copper), which had triggered a copper inflation; effective 23.12.1866.

Valuation Regimes

  • 1847-1855
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins. Base weight was the Tunisian ounce (uqiya) / 16 kharub / 10 niwaya at 31.488 grams.
  • 1855-1891
  • Metallic currency based on circulating gold and silver coins. Base weight was the Tunisian ounce (uqiya) / 16 kharub / 10 niwaya at 31.488 grams.

Rate Arrangements

  • 03.09.1847
  • Metallic
  • Piastre: 2'833.92mg AG fine
  • 1 Piastre of 16 Tunisian niwaya silver 0.900 fine
  • 23.10.1855
  • Metallic
  • Piastre: 159.41mg AU fine & 2'833.92mg AG fine
  • 1 Piastre of 0.9 Tunisian niwaya gold 0.900 fine and 16 Tunisian niwaya silver 0.900 fine => AU : AG = 17.778
  • 26.06.1856
  • Metallic
  • Piastre: 159.41mg AU fine & 2'833.92mg AG fine
  • 1 Piastre of 1 Tunisian niwaya gold 0.900 fine and 16 Tunisian niwaya silver 0.900 fine => AU : AG = 16.000
  • 22.05.1872
  • Metallic
  • Piastre: 159.41mg AU fine & 2'833.92mg AG fine
  • 1 Piastre of 1 Tunisian niwaya gold 0.900 fine and 15½ Tunisian niwaya silver 0.900 fine => AU : AG = 15.500


Time Period: 1891-1958

Currency: Tunisian Franc


Timeline

  • 01.07.1891
  • AH:24.11.1308
  • Bey's decree on the adoption of the French currency; effective immediately
  • 15.09.1891
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 15.09.1891: Start of issuance of the new coinage
    - ??.??.????: Demonetization of the former currency
  • 07.05.1904
  • AH:20.10.1321
  • Bey's decree on the issuance privilege for paper money of the Bank of Algeria; effective 07.05.1904
  • 12.01.1949
  • Law [No. 49] on the reconstitution of the "Bank of Algeria" and name change into "Bank of Algeria and Tunisia"; effective immediately

Valuation Regimes

  • 1891-1958
  • Fixed rate against French Franc (1795)

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.07.1891
  • Fixed
  • French Franc (1795) at 1 : 1
  • -


Time Period: 1891-1958

Currency: Tunisian Dinar


Timeline

  • 19.09.1958
  • AH:05.03.1378
  • Law [No. 90] on the establishment of the Central Bank of Tunisia; effective upon constitution of the bank on 04.11.1958
  • 18.10.1958
  • AH:04.04.1378
  • Law [No. 109] on the currency reform; effective 01.11.1958
  • 04.11.1958
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 04.11.1958: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins
    - ??.??.????: Demonetization of the former currency

Valuation Regimes

  • 1958-1971
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar
  • 1971-1974
  • Fixed rate against French Franc (1958)
  • 1971-1974
  • Variable rate

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.11.1958
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 0.42
  • ±0.0%
  • 28.09.1964
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 0.525 - [Gold parity] 1'692.71mg AU fine
  • -20.0%
  • 21.12.1971
  • Fixed
  • French Franc (1958) at 10.575 : 1
  • +8.5%
  • 21.03.1974
  • Variable
  • initially: French Franc (1958) at 10.575 : 1
  • ±0.0%


End-year Forex Rates (Units per US Dollar)