5000 Dirhams - Zayed Accession Day

Struck to mark the 25th anniversary of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's accession as ruler of Abu Dhabi — an event dated to August 6, 1966, when he deposed his brother Shakhbut in a bloodless palace coup backed by the British. Zayed's accession ultimately made possible the federation of 1971, as Shakhbut had been notorious for hoarding oil revenues rather than spending them on development.

At 200 grams of 22-karat gold, this is among the heaviest modern UAE issues. Presentation pieces of this type rarely circulated, and survivors in original packaging command significant premiums over melt.