Lebanese Lira Banknotes and Coins: A Quick Reference Guide
If you're new to handling Lebanese lira — whether visiting, receiving cash from family, or just trying to make sense of a wallet full of unfamiliar notes — here's a quick reference for what's actually in circulation.
Banknotes
Banque du Liban issues lira banknotes in denominations of 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000 LBP. Given how much the lira has lost in value since 2019, the smaller denominations (1,000 and 5,000 LBP) have become worth very little in practical terms, and the larger 50,000 and 100,000 LBP notes are now what's actually used for everyday transactions of any meaningful size.
Coins
Lebanese lira coins (in smaller denominations such as 250 and 500 LBP) technically still exist but are effectively obsolete for practical purposes today — their value in dollar terms is now so small that they've largely fallen out of everyday use.
Why this matters
Because so much of daily commerce in Lebanon is now priced and paid in US dollar cash rather than lira (see our guide to dollarization), you'll often find prices quoted in dollars even when paying in lira is accepted — with the lira amount calculated on the spot using the day's market rate. Our converter can help you sanity-check that math before you hand over cash.
A quick gut-check
If you want a fast way to picture what a lira amount is actually worth, our 1 million LBP to USD guide walks through the conversion using a round, easy-to-scale number.
Denominations and their practical usage continue to evolve as Lebanon's currency situation develops — this guide reflects general patterns rather than an official, exhaustive list. Banque du Liban is the authoritative source for currently valid tender.