The Central Bank of Yemen was established in 1971 following the end of the civil war in North Yemen, and this fils denomination formed part of the decimal coinage system introduced to replace the older imadi and riyal subdivisions. Aluminium was chosen largely for economic practicality — the fils had so little purchasing power by the mid-1970s that any denser metal would have made production costs exceed face value.
The Central Bank of Yemen was established in 1971 following the end of the civil war in North Yemen, and this fils denomination formed part of the decimal coinage system introduced to replace the older imadi and riyal subdivisions. Aluminium was chosen largely for economic practicality — the fils had so little purchasing power by the mid-1970s that any denser metal would have made production costs exceed face value.