Catalog
1 Arabian Pound
| Issuer | Arabian National Bank of Hedjaz |
|---|---|
| Year | 1924 |
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| Value | 1 Arabian Pound |
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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 | The central design presents the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hejaz — a crowned shield flanked by two crossed flags in red, green, and black — set within a multi-layered geometric and floral medallion. The entire field is covered with an intricate arabesque guilloche pattern in warm ochre and red tones, framed by an ornamental border. A blank watermark window panel is positioned at the right side, with Arabic inscriptions along the upper margin. |
| Reverse lettering | البنك الاهلي الحجازي العربي |
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| Comments |
The Arabian National Bank of Hedjaz was a short-lived institution, operational only briefly in the early 1920s under the Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz before Ibn Saud's conquest swept the region into what would become Saudi Arabia. This note is among the earliest paper currency issues from the Arabian Peninsula — a region where paper money was viewed with deep suspicion and largely rejected in favour of silver Maria Theresa thalers and Ottoman coins already in circulation.
Local printing in Jeddah meant crude production by international standards. The watermark security feature was modest, and uptake was poor enough that the series effectively failed before political circumstances made the question moot. Ibn Saud abolished the bank after capturing Hejaz in 1925.