Sudanese Pound

The Sudanese Pound is the official Sudan currency with currency code SDG. Egypt occupied Sudan in 1821 thus the Egyptian pound circulated in Sudan for a long time until 1956. The Egyptian pound can further be divided into 100 qirush (or Piastre in English).

Throughout the rule of Muhammad ibn Abdalla and Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, a qirsh is equivalent to 40 para. In 1916, the qirsh is equal to 10 millim. When Sudan gained independence from Egyptian and British rule, they issued their own Sudanese pound (currency code: SDP) which was at par with the British Pound Sterling until 1971.

In 1992, the Dinar replaced the pound with a 1 dinar to 1o pounds rate. The Dinar started to circulate in the northern part of Sudan while the south still adopted the pound. In the cities of Yei and Rumbek, however, the Shilling (Kenya’s currency) was more accepted especially with the transport and hotel sectors.

In 2007, as a result of the peace agreement between the Government of Sudan and a group called The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, a new currency in the form of the second or new pound which became legal tender on July 1 of 2007 was issued by the central bank. The rate became 100 dinar = 1 pound.

Coins of the second pound (SDG) come in the following denominations: 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 piastres. They are made mostly in brass (copper and nickel). The 20 and 50 piastres are bi-metallic. The 20 piastre has a yellow ring color with silver center and the 50 piastre is the opposite. Banknotes that are issued in the second pound (SDG) come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pounds. Current exchange rates value Sudanese pound at 1 USD = 2.66 SDG.

In January 2011, the people of Southern Sudan held a plebiscite seeking to separate from the North to end decades of civil war. More than 99% of voters chose to separate making Southern Sudan’s secession official. With the new independent Sudanese state, Southern Sudanese officials have already made public their plans to issue another new currency after the secession.