Catalog
20 Fils Emirate of Kuwait
| Issuer | Kuwait |
|---|---|
| Year | 1961 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 1.27 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic, Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device depicts a boom dhow, a traditional Arabian sailing vessel, shown under full sail and navigating to the left with a small flag flying from the stern. The rigging and hull are rendered in fine detail characteristic of the type. Below the ship, a two-line legend in Arabic script presents the dual dating, with the Islamic Hijri year '١٣٨٠' and the Gregorian year '١٩٦١' separated by a dash. |
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| Additional information |
Kuwait's first independent coinage appeared in 1961, the same year the country terminated its protectorate agreement with Britain and the Amirate issued its own currency to replace the Gulf Rupee. The fils series was rushed into circulation ahead of the Iraqi claim to Kuwaiti territory that nearly triggered a full military conflict that summer — British and Arab League troops deployed to the border within weeks of independence.
KM#5 is from that inaugural issue, produced before the Kuwait Currency Board had established long-term minting contracts.