500 Fils Lion-Monument, 'Filsan'

Iraq's 1982 coinage program was issued under Ba'athist government control at a moment when the country was already eighteen months into the Iran-Iraq War. Wartime metal demands and import complications affected several regional mints during this period, though production continued. The 'Filsan' nickname — a colloquial contraction used in Iraqi street commerce — reflects how thoroughly this denomination embedded itself in daily transactions despite the prolonged conflict.

The nickel composition designated by KM#168a distinguishes this from related strikings in the series; the suffix notation signals a composition variant rather than a design change.