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25 Riyals - Khālid III Mona Lisa
| Issuer | State of Sharjah |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 20 mm |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features the state arms of Sharjah at centre: two crossed flags on staffs enclosed within a wreath of olive branches, surmounted by a palm tree flanked by the dual dates 1389 (AH) and 1970 (AD) inscribed in the field. The legend STATE OF SHARJAH in Latin characters arcs along the left periphery, while the Arabic equivalent حكومة الشارقة runs along the right, all within a beaded border. The denomination ٢٥ ريال appears in Arabic script within the central wreath below the flags, with 25 S. RIYALS in Latin letters placed in the lower exergual area. A small lozenge-shaped fineness mark reading 900 is positioned to the lower right of the beaded border. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | STATE OF SHARJAH حكومة الشارقة 1970 ١٣٨٩ ٢٥ ريال 25 S. RIYALS [900.] (Translation: State of Sharjah 1970 1389 25 Riyals 25 Sharjah Riyals [900.]) |
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| Additional information |
Sharjah's 1970 gold issues were part of a calculated bid by Ruler Sheikh Khalid III to generate hard currency through numismatic sales in the months before the federation of the UAE formalized in 1971. The emirate had no meaningful oil revenue of its own and leaned heavily on these collector-targeted series — which featured world art masterpieces including the Louvre's Mona Lisa — to fund government operations. It was nakedly commercial, and contemporary numismatists knew it.
Struck under contract, not at a local facility. The .900 fineness matches French coin standards, pointing to likely European production.