Qatar's shift to copper-clad steel for this denomination was driven by a sustained rise in base metal prices through the late 2000s that made the older nickel-brass composition increasingly uneconomical to strike. The magnetic core allowed the Central Bank to maintain vending machine and automated payment compatibility while cutting production costs — a practical compromise adopted by several Gulf states around the same period.
Qatar's shift to copper-clad steel for this denomination was driven by a sustained rise in base metal prices through the late 2000s that made the older nickel-brass composition increasingly uneconomical to strike. The magnetic core allowed the Central Bank to maintain vending machine and automated payment compatibility while cutting production costs — a practical compromise adopted by several Gulf states around the same period.