Embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's portrait has appeared on Syrian currency for the first time after the introduction of a 2,000-pound note (about $3.90) on July 2.
Central bank Governor Duraid Durgham said the note was printed years ago but that its introduction had been delayed "due to the circumstances of the war and exchange-rate fluctuations."
Previously, the country’s currency only carried images of historic icons or of the current president's father and previous leader, Hafez Assad, who died in 2000.
Inflation has hit the country’s currency as the effects of a six-year civil war drag on.
Before the issuance of the new note, the highest denomination of Syrian currency was 1,000 pounds.