The Nuevo Sol (S/) is the official currency of Peru. There are bills with denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 soles. There are coins of 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as 1, 2 and 5 soles.
The US dollar is accepted in countless commercial establishments, restaurants, hotels and service stations. It is possible to exchange foreign currency at banks and exchange houses.
There are also street “changers”, but the transaction is not guaranteed. The usual business hours of currency exchange establishments are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. m. to 6:00 p.m. m. and on Saturdays until noon.
Did You know…
The watermarks are use to prevent counterfeiting of the bills, these are located on the upper left side of the front of the bills.
The term “sol” has been used for the currency of Peru since 1857, but then this coin was never minted.
In 1930, during the second government of Augusto B. Leguía, the monetary unit “sol de oro” was created.
The main portrait on the 10 nuevos soles bill is of José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzales, a Peruvian war aviator declared a national hero of the country.