Catalog
1/4 Riyal
| Issuer | Central Bank of Oman |
|---|---|
| Year | 1989 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central vignette of a fishing harbour scene with workers unloading crates of fish at a quayside, a large cargo vessel moored in the background rendered in intaglio line work on a pale blue underprint. The issuer name 'CENTRAL BANK OF OMAN' is inscribed in English at the top, with the denomination 'QUARTER RIAL' at the bottom, and the fraction '1/4' repeated at left and right within floral scroll borders. |
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| Protection type | Watermark, Security thread |
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| Comments |
The quarter-riyal denomination is an awkward fit for a currency system built around the rial Omani's 1,000-baisa subdivision — it equals 250 baisa, a figure that doesn't map neatly onto the decimal coinage structure. Oman nonetheless persisted with fractional rial notes through several series, reflecting transaction patterns in a cash-dependent economy where low-denomination paper remained more practical than bulky coin.
De La Rue's involvement with Omani currency dates to the earliest issues of the Central Bank, established in 1974 after replacing the Currency Board.