Angolan kwanza
Encyclopedia
The kwanza is the currency of Angola
. Four different currencies using the name kwanza have circulated since 1977.
at par and was subdivided into 100 lwei. Its ISO 4217
code was AOK.
code AON. Although it replaced the kwanza at par, Angolans could only exchange 5% of all old notes for new ones; they had to exchange the rest for government securities. This kwanza suffered from high inflation.
code AOR. The inflation continued and no coins were issued.
Coins in 10 and 50 cêntimo denominations are no longer used, as the values are minuscule.
The banknotes are quite similar in design, with only different colours separating them.
in Angola kwanzas:
Angola's currencies were the Least valued currency unit
several times in the 1990s.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. Four different currencies using the name kwanza have circulated since 1977.
| Start Date | Finish Date | ISO 4217 | Currency Unit | Sub Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-01-08 | 1990-09-24 | AOK | Kwanza | 100 lwei | 1 kwanza = 1 Angolan escudo Angolan escudo The escudo was the currency of Angola between 1914 and 1928 and again between 1958 and 1977. It was subdivided into 100 centavos with the macuta worth 5 centavos and was equivalent to the Portuguese escudo.-History:... |
| 1990-09-25 | 1995-06-30 | AON | Novo kwanza | none | 1 novo kwanza = 1 kwanza |
| 1995-07-01 | 1999-11-30 | AOR | Kwanza reajustado | none | 1 kwanza reajustado = 1000 novos kwanzas |
| 1999-12-01 | present | AOA | Kwanza | 100 cêntimos | 1 kwanza = 1,000,000 kwanzas reajustados |
First Kwanza, AOK, 1977-1990
The kwanza was introduced following Angolan independence. It replaced the escudoAngolan escudo
The escudo was the currency of Angola between 1914 and 1928 and again between 1958 and 1977. It was subdivided into 100 centavos with the macuta worth 5 centavos and was equivalent to the Portuguese escudo.-History:...
at par and was subdivided into 100 lwei. Its ISO 4217
ISO 4217
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
code was AOK.
Coins
The first coins issued for the kwanza did not bear any date, although all bore the date of independence, 11 November 1975. They were in denominations of 10, 20, 50 lwei, 1, 2, 5 and 10 kwanzas. 20 kwanza coins were added in 1978. The last date to appear on coins was 1979.Banknotes
In 1977, banknotes (dated 1976) were introduced by the Banco Nacional in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 kwanzas. The 20 kwanza note was replaced by a coin in 1978.Novo kwanza, AON, 1990-1995
In 1990, the novo kwanza was introduced, with the ISO 4217ISO 4217
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
code AON. Although it replaced the kwanza at par, Angolans could only exchange 5% of all old notes for new ones; they had to exchange the rest for government securities. This kwanza suffered from high inflation.
Banknotes
This currency was only issued in note form. The first banknotes issued in 1990 were overprints on earlier notes in denominations of 50 (report not confirmed), 500, 1000 and 5000 novos kwanzas (5000 novos kwanzas overprinted on 100 kwanzas). In 1991, the word novo was dropped from the issue of regular banknotes for 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, 50,000, 100,000 and 500,000 kwanzas.Kwanza reajustado, AOR, 1995-1999
In 1995, the kwanza reajustado replaced the previous kwanza at a rate of 1,000 to 1. It had the ISO 4217ISO 4217
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
code AOR. The inflation continued and no coins were issued.
Banknotes
Despite the exchange rate, such was the low value of the old kwanza that the smallest denomination of banknote issued was 1000 kwanza reajustado. Other notes were 5,000, 10,000, 50,000, 100,000, 500,000, 1,000,000 and 5,000,000 kwanzas.Second kwanza, AOA, 1999-
In 1999, a second currency was introduced simply called the kwanza. Unlike the first kwanza, this currency is subdivided into 100 cêntimos. The introduction of this currency saw the reintroduction of coins. Although it suffered early on from high inflation, its value has now stabilized.Coins
| Coins | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Technical parameters | Description | Date of first minting | ||||
| Diameter | Mass | Composition | Edge | Obverse | Reverse | ||
| 10 cêntimos | 15 mm | 1.5 g | Copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... plated steel Steel Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten... |
Reeded | State title, Coat of arms Coat of arms of Angola The Emblem of Angola is the national emblem. It reflects the recent past of the new nation. There is heavy Marxist imagery found on the device, expanded from what is found on the national flag... , year |
Value | 1999 |
| 50 cêntimos | 18 mm | 3 g | |||||
| 1 kwanza | 21 mm | 4.5 g | Cupronickel Cupronickel Cupronickel or copper-nickel or "cupernickel" is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel is highly resistant to corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater... |
Reeded | State title, Coat of arms Coat of arms of Angola The Emblem of Angola is the national emblem. It reflects the recent past of the new nation. There is heavy Marxist imagery found on the device, expanded from what is found on the national flag... , year |
Value | 1999 |
| 2 kwanzas | 22 mm | 5 g | |||||
| 5 kwanzas | 26 mm | 7 g | |||||
Coins in 10 and 50 cêntimo denominations are no longer used, as the values are minuscule.
Banknotes
| Banknotes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Main Colour | Description | Date of | ||||
| Obverse | Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | Watermark | printing | issue | ||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini1frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini1verso.jpg | 1 kwanza | Pink | Agostinho Neto Agostinho Neto António Agostinho Neto served as the first President of Angola , leading the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the war for independence and the civil war... , José Eduardo dos Santos José Eduardo dos Santos José Eduardo dos Santos is an Angolan politician who has been the second and current President of Angola since 1979. As President, José Eduardo dos Santos is also the commander in chief of the Angolan Armed Forces and president of the MPLA , the party that has been ruling Angola since... |
Women picking cotton Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal.... |
Sculpture | October 1999 | 1 December 1999 |
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini5frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini5verso.jpg | 5 kwanzas | Light green | Mountain pass | ||||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini10frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini10verso.jpg | 10 kwanzas | Red | 2 antelope Antelope Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats... s |
||||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini50frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini50verso.jpg | 50 kwanzas | Lime | Off-shore oil rig | ||||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini100frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini100verso.jpg | 100 kwanzas | Yellow-brown | Banco Nacional de Angola | ||||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini200frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini200verso.jpg | 200 kwanzas | Lilac | Aerial view of Luanda Luanda Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million... |
November 2003 | 19 July 2004 | ||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini500frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini500verso.jpg | 500 kwanzas | Orange | Cotton Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal.... |
||||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini1000frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini1000verso.jpg | 1000 kwanza | Rose | Coffee Coffee Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,... plantation |
||||
| http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini2000frente.jpg | http://www.bna.ao/inc/mini2000verso.jpg | 2000 kwanza | Lime | Sea shore | 2006 | |||
The banknotes are quite similar in design, with only different colours separating them.
Historical exchange rates
This table shows the historical value of one U.S. dollarUnited States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
in Angola kwanzas:
| Date | Currency code and Name | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | AON novo kwanza | 34,200 to 850,000 |
| Jan to Jun 1995 | AON novo kwanza | 1,000,000 to 2,100,000 |
| 1 July 1995 | 1000 AON -> 1 AOR (kwanza reajustado) | |
| Jul to Dec 1995 | AOR kwanza reajustado | 2,100 to 13,000 |
| 1996 | AOR kwanza reajustado | 13,000 to 210,000 to 194,000 |
| 1997 | AOR kwanza reajustado | 194,000 to 253,300 |
| 1998 | AOR kwanza reajustado | 253,300 to 594,000 |
| 1999 | AOR kwanza reajustado | 594,000 to 5,400,000 |
| 1 December 1999 | 1 million AOR -> 1 AOA (kwanza) | |
| 2000 | AOA kwanza | 5.4 to 16.3 |
| 2001 | AOA kwanza | 16.3 to 31.12 |
| 2002 | AOA kwanza | 31.12 to 57.47 |
| 2003 | AOA kwanza | 57.47 to 86.88 to 78.61 |
| 2004 | AOA kwanza | 78.61 to 85.90 |
| 2005 | AOA kwanza | 85.90 to 88.97 to 80.58 |
| 2006 | AOA kwanza | 80.58 to 89.01 to 80.57 |
| 2007 | AOA kwanza | 80.57 to 74.78 to 75.16 |
| 2008 | AOA kwanza | 75.16 to - |
Angola's currencies were the Least valued currency unit
Least valued currency unit
The least valued currency unit is the currency in which a single unit buys the least number of any given other currency or the smallest amount of a given good. Most commonly, the calculation is made against a major reserve currency such as the United States dollar or the euro...
several times in the 1990s.
External links
- Coin Types from Angola Lists, pictures, and values of Angola coin types
- Collection of coin - Angola