Catalog
1/2 Dinar
| Issuer | Central Bank of Kuwait |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980-1991 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Dinar (1/2 KWD) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | An aerial intaglio vignette of Mina Al-Shuwaikh port occupies the left portion of the note, rendered in fine engraved linework with warehouses, cranes, and berthed vessels visible along the quayside. A small dhow vignette and a multicolour geometric rosette appear at the lower centre, flanked by elaborate guilloche scrollwork at the corners, with the denomination 'Half Dinar' and the fraction '1/2' in bold letterpress at the right. |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Dhow (traditional Arab sailing vessel) watermark visible when held to light |
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| Comments |
When Iraqi forces occupied Kuwait in August 1990, they looted the Central Bank's vaults and removed substantial quantities of unissued notes — including examples from this series carrying serial number prefix denominators between 30 and 37. Those notes subsequently appeared in circulation within Iraq, used as an impromptu source of hard currency. The Kuwaiti government invalidated the entire P#12 series after liberation in 1991, rendering all denominator prefixes equally void regardless of origin, but the stolen range remains the focus of collector scrutiny.
Notes with prefix denominators below 30 saw legitimate issue; those in the 30–37 band did not.