Central bank unveils new currency without Saddam image

(4 Oct 2003) 1. Wide shot, Baghdad street with traffic 2. Statue of Antar, a famous Arab warrior 3. Various, men looking at newspaper depicting new currency 4. Security outside Iraqi Central Bank 5. Women with guns inside bank 6. Various, Ahmed Salman, Deputy Governor of the Iraqi Central Bank, showing samples of the new currency to journalists 7. Audience 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Salman, Deputy Governor, Iraqi Central Bank ’’Achieving stability of the exchange rate and keeping overall level of prices stable constitutes the main goals of the Iraqi Central Bank in the forthcoming period.’’ 9. Wide shot, Ahmed Salman in front of journalists 10. Various, man at side of road counting money 11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Abu Omar, Money Changer “We are happy with the new currency because it cannot be forged. Secondly, the quality of the banknotes will be high quality and security items. Not easy to counterfeit.“ 12. Various of man at side of road counting money STORYLINE: Iraq’s Central Bank on Saturday unveiled the country’s new currency - banknotes without the most distinctive feature of the old bills, the image of Saddam Hussein. The new Iraqi dinars, which will be converted at a rate of one to one, will start being circulated on October 15 and Iraqis will have a three-month period to exchange old money for new banknotes before the existing currency money is declared void. The US-printed banknotes - issued in six denominations including 50, 250, one-thousand, five-thousand, ten-thousand and 25-thousand - look similar to the Iraqi national currency used before 1990, popularly known as “Swiss dinars“ In an attempt to nationalize the new currency, Iraqi officials said the new dinars will also replace the Swiss dinar, which is still being used in northern Kurdish-controlled Iraq. The new legal tender’s design incorporates security features aimed at thwarting counterfeiters. Earlier this week, the Pentagon said that U.S. agents assisted by Iraqi police had broken up a counterfeit printing operation and seized 100 billion in fake dinars. With fluctuating exchange rates recently, that would amount to anywhere from 30 (M) million (US) dolllars to 70 (M) million (US) dollars. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: