Bahrain's fils coinage underwent a quiet but significant reform in the mid-2000s when the Central Bank shifted select denominations from steel-core to solid brass flans — a change driven partly by vending machine compatibility issues and partly by the rising cost of producing bimetallic and clad coinage for a small island economy. The 2009 date places this squarely in the post-reform production run, after the magnetic steel predecessor had already been phased out of new mintings.
KM#28.2 distinguishes this type from its near-identical predecessor by flan composition alone — a distinction invisible to casual handling but immediately confirmed by magnet.
Bahrain's fils coinage underwent a quiet but significant reform in the mid-2000s when the Central Bank shifted select denominations from steel-core to solid brass flans — a change driven partly by vending machine compatibility issues and partly by the rising cost of producing bimetallic and clad coinage for a small island economy. The 2009 date places this squarely in the post-reform production run, after the magnetic steel predecessor had already been phased out of new mintings.
KM#28.2 distinguishes this type from its near-identical predecessor by flan composition alone — a distinction invisible to casual handling but immediately confirmed by magnet.