1/2 Dinar - Sheikh Sabah

Kuwait's first post-independence currency law came into force in 1960, but the Central Bank itself wasn't established until 1969 — meaning this series, introduced in 1970, represents the bank's inaugural note issue. Bradbury Wilkinson, then operating out of their New Malden works in Surrey, handled production across the full series, as they did for a considerable number of Gulf states during this period when British printing houses effectively monopolised the region's banknote contracts.

The issue span of over a decade reflects political stability unusual in the Gulf at the time. Iraqi invasion in August 1990 forced a complete currency replacement — vast quantities of Kuwaiti notes were looted and later surfaced in bulk on international markets, depressing values for the entire pre-invasion series.