Catalog
1/2 Saidi Rial - Qaboos Gold
| Issuer | Sultanate of Oman |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
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| Currency | Saidi rial (1970-1972) |
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| Obverse description | The national emblem of Oman occupies the central field, comprising a khanjar (traditional curved dagger) within its sheath superimposed upon two crossed swords, all rendered in fine relief. The emblem is surrounded by an Arabic legend arranged along the upper periphery of the coin. The overall design is executed in a bold, deeply struck style consistent with proof coinage of the early Qaboos era. |
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| Obverse lettering | قابوس بن سعيد سلطان عمان (Translation: Qaboos bin Said Sultan of Oman) |
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| Additional information |
Issued in the first year of Qaboos bin Said's reign, following the palace coup of July 1970 in which he deposed his father Said bin Taimur with British backing. The elder Sultan had ruled Oman in near-total isolation, banning radios, sunglasses, and foreign travel for his subjects. Qaboos immediately reoriented the state, renamed the country from the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, and commissioned new coinage to signal the break.
The Saidi Rial was itself short-lived as a unit, replaced by the Omani Rial in 1973 at a rate of 1,000 baisa, making this denomination obsolete within two years of striking.