Catalog
| Issuer | Bank Al-Maghrib |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011-2023 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 1.69 mm |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A large stylized fish rendered in fine detail occupies the left and central field, set against a background of aquatic vegetation and waves, evoking Morocco's Atlantic and Mediterranean maritime heritage. To the right, the large numeral denomination '1/2' dominates the field. The dual date in both Hijri and Gregorian calendars (e.g. 1433 - 2012) appears below the denomination numeral, and the Arabic legend نصف درهم (Half Dirham) curves along the lower rim. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 1/2 2012-1433 نصف درهم |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Mohammed VI ascended the Moroccan throne in 1999 following the death of his father Hassan II, and the currency series bearing his effigy has been incrementally updated across his reign as the dirham system absorbed repeated reforms to combat counterfeiting. The half-dirham denomination occupies an awkward place in everyday Moroccan commerce — large enough to matter in small transactions, small enough to disappear from circulation into jars and drawers.
Bank Al-Maghrib moved to nickel plated steel for this denomination as part of a broader regional shift away from cupro-nickel, driven largely by fluctuating base metal costs in the mid-2000s.