Syrian President Bashar al-Assad finally appears on the Syrian currency

Yay! Syrian President Bashar al-Assad finally appears on the Syrian currency. It's the first time since he assumed office after succeeding his father in 2000. The new 2,000-pound banknote that went into circulation on Sunday. has his portrait printed on it.
Central bank governor Duraid Durgham said the 2,000-pound note was printed years ago but decisions to put it in circulation was delayed "due to the circumstances of the war and exchange rate fluctuations". According to reports by the state news agency SANA, Durgham cited wear and tear of the existing notes as an indication that the time was right to put the new note into circulation. The new note is equal to around $3.9 at current exchange rates. Since the country's conflict started in 2011, the Syrian pound has plunged in value . It was 47 pounds to a dollar in 2010 but at present, it is now around 500 pounds to the dollar.
Prior to circulating the newly printed 2,000-pound note, the highest denomination of Syrian banknote was 1,000 pounds and the currency previously only carried images of historic icons. Assad's father, the late President Hafez al-Assad who died in 2000, appeared on coins and on an older version of the 1,000 pound note, which is still in circulation.
Durgham said the new note featuring Assad's portrait was put into circulation "in Damascus and a number of the provinces".