Peru Money, Peruvian Currency, Currency in Peru

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Description of Peru Money or Currency in Peru

Peru money (currency) comes in the shape of bills and coins of the sizes and denominations pictured farther down this page.

The bills are about the same width as a United States Dollar (USD) bill and about 5/8 inch shorter in length.

The unit of currency in Peru is called the "Nuevo (New) Sol" and commonly shortened to the "sol" (pronounced similar to English "soul") or the plural, soles (pronounced similar to "soul-ace"). The smallest unit of Peruvian currency is the "centimo" or hundredth of a sol, but the smallest coin in common use is the 10 centimo coin.

On this page:

Description of Peruvian Currency

Appearance of Common Bills and Coins

Avoiding Counterfeit Money

Some Common Problems with Paper Money in Peru

Peruvian Currency - Appearance of Common Bills and Coins

Peru money or currency in Peru consists of the following bills and coins in common usage:

Peru_money_100_soles

In May 2010, Peru released a new Nuevo Sol coin. Here is the official photo:

Peru money new sol coin

Peruvian Currency - Avoiding Counterfeit Money

As in most, if not all, countries in the world, Peru has an ongoing battle against counterfeiters. Although advances in technology have aided in making money harder to counterfeit, technology in some cases is used to produce high quality counterfeits.

What to look for if you are using Peru money:

The most popular bills to counterfeit, of course, are the biggest denominations in daily use, in this case, the 100 sol bill. If you present one of these bills in payment for goods or services, nearly all sales personnel, taxi drivers, etc, will hold it up to the light and scrutinize it.

Since the features of these bills involve iridescent colors that change at different angles, as well as interwoven ribbons, hidden images, etc., they don't reproduce well on a computer screen, so I won't try to show the differences here.

I do recommend asking someone to show you what to look for when you do get to Peru.

Other denominations of bills and even the 5 sol coin have been counterfeited. If you have any doubts about a bill or a coin, don't accept it. Peruvians are used to that.

Some Common Problems with Paper Money

Peru Money and Other Currency Pains - One of the most frustrating things a traveler will run into in Peru is the "won't accept your dollar bill" thiing.

For example, you're down to havnig to change your last 100 dollar bill. But no one will take it.

Why? One corner is torn off. Or it has been creased too many times down the middle and is slightly worn. Or worse yet, someone has signed their name on it in pen.

For any of these reasons, you may find yourself unable to change or use a paper bill, whether 100 dollars or 1 dollar.

Don't panic. By law, all Peru banks must accept legitimate currency no matter what shape the bills may be in as long as they are more than 50% there. You just have to find a bank that's open....that's all....

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