Catalog
500 Dirhams
| Issuer | Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | De La Rue Currency, London |
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| Obverse description | A vignette of a falcon in three-quarter portrait occupies the right portion of the note, set against a multicolour guilloche underprint in blue, green, and purple tones. The UAE national emblem appears at centre, flanked by Arabic inscriptions naming the issuing authority and denomination, with the numeral 500 repeated at lower left and upper right. A kinegram security device is positioned at lower left, alongside a decorative tower motif. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A perched falcon vignette is placed at the left margin, while a detailed architectural rendering of a large mosque with minarets and a central dome occupies the left-centre of the composition. The note is printed in soft lilac and blue tones over a fine guilloche underprint, with ornamental rosette devices at the lateral borders. |
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| Comments |
The 1996 UAE dirham series, of which this is the highest denomination in general circulation at the time, arrived during a period when the Central Bank was systematically upgrading its security architecture after counterfeit concerns plagued Gulf-region currencies through the late 1980s and early 1990s. De La Rue's involvement was consistent across multiple issues — the UAE has maintained a remarkably stable relationship with a small number of trusted printers rather than switching suppliers as neighboring states sometimes did.
The kinegram strip on this denomination was among the earlier applications of that technology on a Gulf-state high-value note, predating its adoption by several regional central banks by a few years.