1 pound 1973
Market Prices
4 salesAbout This Note
This is a 1973 Syrian pound note (Pick P-93c) issued by the Central Bank of Syria, featuring an elegant design with a portrait of a worker on the obverse and the famous Wheel of Hama (noria) on the reverse. The note displays rich multicolored printing with pink/mauve tones on the front and tan/beige tones on the back, though visual inspection reveals cancellation marks and fold lines on the obverse that indicate the note has circulated despite its catalog grade, suggesting a possible grading discrepancy between the stated UNC condition and actual condition observed.
Common. This note from the 1963-1982 Central Bank of Syria series had a substantial circulation, and market data from realbanknotes.com shows recent eBay sales ranging from $2.25 to $51 (with the $51 sale being a professionally graded PMG 67 example), establishing a typical catalog value of $10 in UNC condition. The availability of multiple examples in the market and modest pricing indicates this is a common date and denomination within the series.
Issued during a period of Syrian economic and political transition (1963-1982 series), this banknote commemorates two important elements of Syrian heritage: the worker as a symbol of national labor and industry, and the Wheel of Hama (noria), a UNESCO-recognized historic water management structure on the Orontes River that has served Syrian agriculture for centuries. The dual dating system (1973/AH1393) reflects Syria's integration of both Gregorian and Islamic calendar systems during this era.
The obverse features an unnamed male worker portrayed in profile facing left, wearing a collared shirt rendered in sepia tones on the right portion of the note. The background contains an ornate Islamic architectural structure with a dome and geometric patterns in the center, representing Syrian cultural heritage. The entire design is framed by elaborate gold and brown decorative borders with Islamic geometric and floral motifs against a pink/mauve background. The reverse depicts the historical Wheel of Hama (noria), a large water wheel positioned beside a multi-arched stone aqueduct structure, with cypress trees flanking both sides of the composition and a stone tower or fortification visible on the right. The landscape background shows rural scenery with vegetation, emphasizing the agricultural significance of this ancient hydraulic structure. Fine guilloché patterns and intricate engraved details throughout provide security features.
Front side: Arabic text 'مصرف سوريا المركزي' translates to 'Central Bank of Syria'; 'ليرة' translates to 'Pound/Lira'; 'سورية واحدة' translates to 'One Syria'; dates shown as '1393-1973' (Islamic and Gregorian calendars); serial number '2076700'. Back side: English inscriptions read 'CENTRAL BANK OF SYRIA', 'ONE SYRIAN POUND', and 'POUND'; date '1973' and denomination '1' are displayed in numerals.
Intaglio engraving (line engraving and guilloché), as evidenced by the fine detail, crisp lines, and relief printing characteristics visible in both the portrait work and the intricate geometric patterns. The multicolored printing suggests multi-pass intaglio or chromatic engraving techniques typical of high-security banknote production of the 1970s era.
This note is identified as Pick P-93c, one of three documented variants for the 1 pound denomination (PMG population data references P-93b and P-93s as other variants). The specific date of 1973/AH1393, combined with the observed serial number 2076700 and the English text on the reverse ('CENTRAL BANK OF SYRIA'), places this within the standard 1973 issuance. However, the condition assessment discrepancy noted (cancellation marks and fold lines visible despite UNC grade claim) warrants verification of the actual grade—the note may be AUNC or VF rather than true UNC uncirculated condition.
