Honduran Lempira

The Honduran lempira (HNL) is the official currency of Honduras. It was introduced in 1931, replacing the Honduran peso. The lempira is divided into 100 centavos. The lempira was named after the 16th-century indigenous leader Lempira, who led the resistance against the Spanish conquest. The word lempira means "silver" in the Lenca language. In 1931, the Central Bank of Honduras issued the first lempira banknotes. These were followed by coins in 1932. The coins were minted in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos, and 1, 2, 5 and 10 lempiras. The lempira has been relatively stable since its introduction. In the early 1990s, the exchange rate was around 5 lempiras to 1 US dollar. In recent years, the rate has been around 22 lempiras to 1 US dollar. The lempira is used in Honduras, as well as in parts of Nicaragua and El Salvador. In Nicaragua, the currency is called the lempira centavo. In El Salvador, it is known as the centavo.