Catalog
1/2 Rial Mirbat Fort
| Issuer | Central Bank of Oman |
|---|---|
| Year | 1977-1988 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Rial |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | حِصنُ مِربَاط (Translation: Mirbat Fort) |
| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of Oman's first gold coinage program under Sultan Qaboos, this piece commemorates the Battle of Mirbat — a July 1972 SAS action in which a small team of British special forces and Omani soldiers held off a large PFLOAG guerrilla assault on the coastal town's gendarmerie fort. The battle remained classified for years and was only publicly acknowledged long after the coins entered circulation.
The extended date range reflects periodic restrike activity rather than continuous production, a common practice with Omani gold issues of this period.