250 Dirhams - Mohammed VI 50th Anniversary of Independence

Morocco's independence from French and Spanish control was formally achieved on March 2, 1956, when Sultan Mohammed V negotiated the end of the protectorate — a settlement France had resisted until regional instability, particularly the Algerian war, made continued colonial administration untenable. This 2005 issue marks the half-century point under Mohammed VI, who acceded to the throne in 1999 following the 41-year reign of Hassan II.

Bank Al-Maghrib's commemorative dirham series in .925 silver has historically been struck in tightly controlled mintages for collector distribution rather than circulation, with most issues seeing domestic sales through the central bank directly.