Mauritania's ouguiya has the unusual distinction of being one of the few modern currencies not based on decimal subdivision — the traditional unit divides into 5 khoums, a system rooted in pre-colonial exchange practices that the country retained at independence in 1973. This bimetallic-era coin was replaced in 2018 when Mauritania redenominated its currency by a factor of ten, issuing a new ouguiya equal to ten old ones. The piece dates from the final transitional window of the old system.
Mauritania's ouguiya has the unusual distinction of being one of the few modern currencies not based on decimal subdivision — the traditional unit divides into 5 khoums, a system rooted in pre-colonial exchange practices that the country retained at independence in 1973. This bimetallic-era coin was replaced in 2018 when Mauritania redenominated its currency by a factor of ten, issuing a new ouguiya equal to ten old ones. The piece dates from the final transitional window of the old system.