Finance:Bahraini dinar

Short description: Currency of Bahrain

Bahraini dinar

دينار بحريني (Arabic)
ISO 4217
Code	BHD (numeric: 048)
Subunit	0.001
Unit
Symbol	.د.ب‎ (Arabic) or BD (Latin)
Denominations
Subunit
​1⁄1000	fils
Banknotes
Freq. used	BD ​1⁄2, BD 1, BD 5, BD 10, BD 20
Coins
Freq. used	5, 10, 25, 50, 100 fils, BD ​1⁄2 (500 fils)
Demographics
User(s)	Bahrain Abu Dhabi (Formerly)
Issuance
Monetary authority	Central Bank of Bahrain
Website	www.cbb.gov.bh
Valuation
Inflation	1,4%
Source	The World Factbook, 2017 est.
Pegged with	United States dollar (USD) $1 USD = 0.376 BD

The dinar (Arabic: دينار بحريني Dīnār Baḥrēnī) (sign: .د.ب or BD; code: BHD) is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils (فلس). The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated د.ب (Arabic) or BD (Latin). It is usually represented with three decimal places denoting the fils.

The name dinar derives from the Roman denarius.

As of December 2021, the Bahraini dinar is the second highest-valued currency unit, at 2.65 United States dollars per unit (the highest-valued unit is the Kuwaiti dinar at $3.32).

History

The Bahraini dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. It was initially equivalent to ​³⁄₄ of a pound sterling (15 shillings). When sterling was devalued in 1967, the dinar was repegged to 17s. 6d. sterling (​⁷⁄₈ of a pound). Bahraini coins and notes were introduced at that time.

Initially, Abu Dhabi adopted the Bahraini dinar but changed to the dirham in 1973, with 1 dirham = 100 fils = 0.100 dinar.

Exchange rate

In December 1980, the dinar was officially pegged to the IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs). In practice, it is fixed at $1 United States dollar = 0.376 BHD, which translates to approximately 1 BHD = US$2.65957 and, consequently, just over 9.9734 Saudi Arabian riyals. This rate was made official in 2001 and Saudi riyals are accepted at all points of sale in Bahrain at 10 to 1, with the exception of the Saudi 500 riyal note which is only accepted in major supermarkets, airports and electronic shops.

Before Malta's adoption of the euro on 1 January 2008, it was the third-highest-valued currency unit after the Kuwaiti dinar and Maltese lira. After Malta adopted the euro, the dinar became the second highest-valued currency unit.

Coins

In 1965, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 fils. The 1, 5 and 10 fils were struck in bronze, with the others in cupro-nickel. The 1 fils coin was not produced after 1966 and no longer circulates. A bimetallic 100 fils coin was introduced in October 1992. In 1992, brass replaced bronze in the 5 and 10 fils.

A bimetallic 500 fils coin was released in 2000 with the Pearl Monument on the obverse. The coin was discontinued in response to the uprising in Bahrain, which resulted in the demolition of the monument on 18 March 2011, although the Bank stated that minting had ceased some time prior to that. The coin remained in use but was no longer released back into circulation after reaching banks.

Coins of the Bahraini dinar
Image	Value	Diameter	Weight	Composition	Obverse	Reverse	First Minted Year		1 fils	15 mm	1.5 g	Bronze	Palm tree	Value	1965		5 fils	18.5 mm	2 g	Bronze	Palm tree	Value	1965		10 fils	23.5 mm	4.75 g	Bronze	Palm tree	Value	1965		25 fils	16.5 mm	1.75 g	Cupro-nickel	Palm tree	Value	1965		50 fils	20 mm	3.1 g	Cupro-nickel	Palm tree	Value	1965		100 fils	25 mm	6.5 g	Cupro-nickel	Palm tree	Value	1965		5 fils	19 mm	2.50 g	Brass	Palm tree	Value	1992		10 fils	21 mm	3.35 g	Brass	Palm tree	Value	1992		25 fils	20 mm	3.5 g	Cupro-nickel	Dilmo Civilization seal	Value	1992		50 fils	22 mm	4.5 g	Cupro-nickel	Dhow (Bahraini boat)	Value	1992		100 fils	Template:Coin-silver-color| 24 mm	Template:Coin-silver-color| 6 g	Template:Coin-silver-color| Brass ring, cupro-nickel centre	Template:Coin-silver-color| Coat of Arms	Value	1992

Bahrain coins, obverse and reverse

For a wider history surrounding currency in the region, see British currency in the Middle East.

Banknotes

On 16 October 1965 the Bahrain Currency Board introduced notes in denominations of ​¹⁄₄, ​¹⁄₂, 1, 5 and 10 dinars; a 100-fils note was introduced on September 2, 1967.

In 1973, the Bahrain Monetary Agency took over the issuance of paper money, and starting in July 1978 with a 20 dinar note, it introduced a new family of notes dated 1973 in Arabic. Denominations of ​¹⁄₂, 1, 5 and 10 dinars were released on 16 December 1979. The 100-fils note of the Bahrain Currency Board was withdrawn in November 1980 and the remainder of the notes were withdrawn on 31 March 1996, remaining exchangeable until one year afterwards.

The third issue of notes (the second by the Bahrain Monetary Agency) with the same denominations of ​¹⁄₂ to 20 dinars was released in March 1993. This series was upgraded during 1998 with various modifications to colour and security features. However, a fake order for banknotes had recently been placed with the Argentinian printer Ciccone Calcografica who did not verify it with the legitimate authorities in Bahrain and obtained genuine banknote paper from Arjo Wiggins to print over 7 million unauthorised replicas of the 20-dinar note (of the 1993 design), equivalent to US$365 million. These differed from genuine notes in two respects: different background shading to the Arabic name of the Bahrain Monetary Agency, and a large gap between the two Arabic letters in the horizontal serial number. These unauthorised notes were smuggled through various African and European countries by air and presented for exchange in Belgium, Switzerland and the Gulf around June 1998, just as the upgraded 20-dinar note was being released in Bahrain. The large amounts raised suspicions and were soon detected as notes that had not been printed by the authorised printer, De La Rue. The Bahrain Monetary Agency allowed individuals who had mistakenly accepted the unauthorised notes to exchange them for face value at banks between 8–14 June 1998, then quickly recalled all 20-dinar notes on 30 July 1998. The unauthorised notes, being replicas of the 1993 design, were in purple and without a hologram. Despite this the upgraded June 1998 notes, also in purple but with a hologram were also withdrawn. On 1 August 1998 a new 20-dinar note, of the same design as the upgraded note (with a hologram) but in peach colour, was released. Thus, the genuine June 1998 design was only in circulation for about 7 weeks and is therefore rarely seen by collectors. All other banknotes of the Bahrain Monetary Agency remain exchangeable.

On 7 September 2006, the Bahrain Monetary Agency was renamed the Central Bank of Bahrain. On 17 March 2008, the Central Bank of Bahrain introduced its first series of notes (Bahrain's 4th series) reflecting the country's heritage as well as its modern development.

On 4 September 2016, the Central Bank of Bahrain introduced upgraded versions of the 10- and 20-dinar notes with enhanced security features (SPARK and Motion thread) and tactile lines added at center right front for the visually impaired.

4th series (154mm x 74mm)
Image		Value	Main Colour	Front Side	Back Side
		​1⁄2 dinar	Brown/Peach	Old Bahrain Court	Bahrain International Circuit
		1 dinar	Red	Al Hedya Al Khalifiya School (Bahrain first school)	Galloping Arabian Horses and the Sail and Pearl monument
		5 dinars	Blue	Shaikh Isa House in Muharraq and Riffa Fort	First oil well in Bahrain and Aluminum Bahrain (Alba)
		10 dinars	Green	King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah	Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Causeway
		20 dinars	Brown/light blue	King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah	Al Fateh Islamic Center

See also

• Gulf rupee
• Economy of Bahrain
• Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf

External links

• Historical and current banknotes of Bahrain