Peruvian inti

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For other uses, see Inti (disambiguation).

The inti was the currency of Peru between 1985 and 1991. Its ISO 4217 code was PEI, and its abbreviation in local use "I/.". Although they soon became worthless, the inti was divided into 100 céntimos.

The inti was introduced on 1 February 1985, replacing the sol which had suffered from high inflation. One inti was equivalent to 1000 soles. Coins denominated in the new unit were put into circulation from May 1985 and banknotes followed in December of that year.

By 1990, the inti itself was so inflated that the nuevo sol ("new sol") was adopted on 1 July 1991, replacing the inti at an exchange rate of a million to one. Thus: 1 new sol = 1,000,000 inti = 1,000,000,000 old soles. As an interim measure, from January to July 1991, the "inti millon" was used as a unit of account. One inti millon was equal to 1,000,000 inti and hence to one new sol.

The inti was named after Inti, the Inca sun god, to maintain the solar connection in the naming of Peru's currency (although, sol in the currency sense was actually ultimately derived from the Latin Solidus).

Inti notes and coins are no longer legal tender in Peru, nor can they be exchanged for notes and coins denominated in the current nuevo sol.