Iraq's first nationally issued banknotes, introduced under the 1947 National Bank of Iraq Law, replaced the Indian rupee-linked Iraq Currency Board notes that had circulated since the 1930s. The half dinar was the smallest denomination in this inaugural series — a deliberate choice given the purchasing power involved and the rural economy it was designed to reach.
Bradbury Wilkinson printed this series from their New Malden works, a firm with deep experience in colonial and post-colonial currency contracts across the Middle East and Africa. The watermark is the primary security feature — relatively modest for the period, but consistent with the specifications the National Bank negotiated for this first issue.
Iraq's first nationally issued banknotes, introduced under the 1947 National Bank of Iraq Law, replaced the Indian rupee-linked Iraq Currency Board notes that had circulated since the 1930s. The half dinar was the smallest denomination in this inaugural series — a deliberate choice given the purchasing power involved and the rural economy it was designed to reach.
Bradbury Wilkinson printed this series from their New Malden works, a firm with deep experience in colonial and post-colonial currency contracts across the Middle East and Africa. The watermark is the primary security feature — relatively modest for the period, but consistent with the specifications the National Bank negotiated for this first issue.