Namibian dollar

The Namibian dollar (symbol: N$; code: NAD) has been the currency of Namibia since 1993. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively N$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents.

For earlier Namibian currencies, see South West African mark and South West African pound.
Namibian dollar
10 cents, 50 cents, N$1, N$5
ISO 4217
CodeNAD
Denominations
Subunit
 1/100cent
Symbol$, N$
BanknotesN$10, N$20, N$30, N$50, N$100, N$200
Coins5, 10, 50 cents, N$1, N$5, N$10
Demographics
User(s) Namibia (alongside South African rand at a ratio of 1 Dollar to 1 Rand at par)
Issuance
Central bankBank of Namibia
 Websitewww.bon.com.na
Valuation
Inflation6.8%
 SourceThe World Factbook, 2016 est.
Pegged withSouth African rand at par

History

The dollar replaced the South African rand, which had been the country's currency while it was under South African rule as South-West Africa from 1920 until 1990, at par. The rand is still legal tender, as the Namibian dollar is linked to the South African rand and can be exchanged on a one-to-one basis locally. Namibia was also part of the Common Monetary Area from independence in 1990 until the introduction of the dollar in 1993.

In the beginning, alternative names for the Namibian dollar were suggested, including Namibian kalahar, referencing the Kalahari Desert in the east of Namibia, but ultimately the government settled on the name Namibian dollar. The first notes were issued on September 15, 1993.[1]

The Bank of Namibia issued the first banknotes on 15 September 1993 and, in December, issued the first national coins.

Coins
Five dollar coin

Coins in circulation

  • 5 c
  • 10 c
  • 50 c
  • N$1
  • N$5
  • N$10

Years of mintage are 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015. The cent coins are made of nickel plated steel and the dollar coins of brass. From January 2019, the 5 cent coins are no longer minted, but they are still used for daily transactions.

Banknotes

Banknotes in circulation

  • N$10
  • N$20
  • N$30
  • N$50
  • N$100
  • N$200

Historically, Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi, once chief of the Namaqua people and instrumental in leading the revolts against German rule at the turn of the 20th century, has been depicted on all Namibian banknotes. However, on 21 March 2012, the Bank of Namibia introduced a new series of banknotes to be issued in May 2012. The new family of banknotes will have the same denomination structure as the current series. All denominations have improved anti-counterfeiting features, and the portrait of Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi are retained for all but the 10- and 20-dollar notes, which feature a new portrait of Sam Nujoma, the founding president and father of the Namibian nation.[2][3]

The Bank of Namibia has discovered that the diamond-shaped optically variable ink patch on the N$10 and N$20 notes was cracking after multiple folding and handling. The Bank of Namibia has recently issued in limited quantity, the N$10 and N$20 notes on paper with improved quality and shifted the placement of the diamond-shaped optically variable ink feature.[4]

On 21 March 2020, the Bank of Namibia unveiled a new 30-dollar polymer note to commemorate the 30th anniversary of independence. The theme of the note is '3 Decades of Peace and Stability', represented by the smooth transition of power between the three presidents since independence.[5]

2012 Series
ImageValueDimensionsMain ColorDescriptionDate of issueDate of first issueWatermark
ObverseReverseObverseReverse
N$10 129 × 70mm Blue H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma; Parliament building in Windhoek Namibian coat of arms; three standing springbok antelope (Antidorcas marsupialis) 2011 15 May 2012 Sam Nujoma and electrotype 10
N$20 134 × 70mm Orange H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma; Parliament building in Windhoek Namibian coat of arms; three standing red hartebeest 2011 15 May 2012 Sam Nujoma and electrotype 20
N$50 140 × 70mm Green Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi; Parliament building in Windhoek Namibian coat of arms; five standing kudo antelope (Tragelaphus stepsiceros) 2012 15 May 2012 Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi and electrotype 50
N$100 146 × 70mm Red Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi; Parliament building in Windhoek Namibian coat of arms; three standing oryx antelope (Oryx gazella) 2012 15 May 2012 Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi and electrotype 100
N$200 152 × 70mm Purple Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi; Parliament building in Windhoek Namibian coat of arms; three standing roan antelope 2012 15 May 2012 Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi and electrotype 200

Test coins
10 marks essai (reverse)

During the planning phase of the introduction of a new national currency replacing the South African rand, the newly founded Bank of Namibia minted a proof series of coins denominated in dollars as well as in marks, for the consideration of the Namibian Ministry of Finance. The decision then fell in favour of the name ‘dollar’ for the new currency.

The proof series consisted of four different coins: 1 mark, 1 dollar (both in copper/nickel), 10 marks and 10 dollars (both in silver). The obverse of the mark pieces shows a sitting lion where the dollar pieces depict a San (Bushman) with bow and arrow. All obverse sides bear the indication of denomination as well as the remark ‘PROBE’/‘ESSAI’ (proof). The reverse of the 1-mark/1-dollar pieces shows Namibia's former coat of arms surrounded by the inscription ‘NAMIBIA’, the year (1990) and two ears of corn. The ten-mark/ten-dollar pieces bear the inscription ‘INDEPENDENCE’/‘UNABHÄNGIGKEIT’ (German: ‘independence’) instead of the ears.

There was a series of Namibian pattern coins denominated in Rand dated 1990. This short-lived tender was cited in the 2005 edition of Krause's 'Unusual World Coins'.

Exchange rates
Current NAD exchange rates
From Google Finance: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
From Yahoo! Finance: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
From XE.com: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
From OANDA: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
From fxtop.com: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD

References
  1. NAMIBIA CURRENCY SPOTLIGHT blog.continentalcurrency.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
  2. Linzmayer, Owen (2012). "Namibia". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com.
  3. Namibia new 2012 banknote family confirmed BanknoteNews.com. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  4. Namibia new 10- and 20-dollar notes reported BanknoteNews.com. June 4, 2013. Retrieved on 2013-06-05.
  5. Namibia new 30-dollar commemorative note (B218a) confirmed BanknoteNews.com. May 15, 2020. Retrieved on 2020-11-11.
Preceded by:
South African rand
Reason: independence and Common Monetary Area
Ratio: at par		 Currency of Namibia
1993 –
Concurrent with: South African rand		 Succeeded by:
Current
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