1 Rial 39th National Day - European Bee-eater

Oman's National Day commemoratives have been issued annually since the early 1970s, marking the Sultan's accession on November 18, 1970 — the date Qaboos bin Said deposed his father in a palace coup backed, in part, by British advisors. The European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a genuine seasonal presence in Oman, passing through on migration routes between sub-Saharan Africa and breeding grounds stretching into Central Asia.

The .999 fine specification places this issue above the more common .925 standard used for most Omani commemoratives of the period.