Catalog
1/2 Rial - Qaboos Al Bu Said Dynasty
| Issuer | Central Bank of Oman |
|---|---|
| Year | 1994 |
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| Thickness | 2.37 mm |
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| Obverse description | Colorized effigy of Sultan Qaboos bin Said facing slightly left, wearing a traditional Omani dishdasha and a richly patterned turban in blue and multicolored fabric, occupying the central field. The portrait is set against a mirror-polished proof background and surrounded by an elaborate arabesque decorative border of interlocking foliate motifs in high relief. The Arabic legend arcs across the upper field, while the Latin legend 'QABOOS BIN SAID - SULTAN OF OMAN' curves along the lower periphery inside the ornamental border. The date appears in both Western numerals (1994) to the lower left and Arabic-Indic numerals (١٩٩٤) to the lower right of the effigy. |
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| Obverse lettering | قابوس بن سعيد سلطان عمان SULTAN QABOOS BIN SAID SULTAN OF OMAN |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark the 24th National Day of Oman, this coin belongs to a commemorative program the Central Bank launched in the early 1990s to document infrastructure and modernization achievements under Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who had seized power from his father in a bloodless palace coup in 1970. Oman in 1994 was still consolidating the oil-revenue-driven transformation that had, within a single generation, converted a largely medieval economy into a functioning modern state.
The .925 silver specification follows the standard adopted for Omani commemoratives of this decade, struck at the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom under contract.