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1/2 Dinar - Sheikh Sabah
| Issuer | Central Bank of Kuwait |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970-1982 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Dinar (1/2 KWD) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Portrait of Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, 2nd Emir of Kuwait (r. 1965–1977), positioned to the right in intaglio print, wearing traditional keffiyeh and agal. The denomination نصف دينار (Half Dinar) is inscribed in large Arabic script at centre, above two lines of Arabic text referencing the issuing authority and legal basis, with two signature lines below. The note is framed by an ornate multicolour guilloche border with stylised floral cornerpieces, and the bank name بنك الكويت المركزي appears at the top in Arabic. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Kuwait's first post-independence currency law came into force in 1960, but the Central Bank itself wasn't established until 1969 — meaning this series, introduced in 1970, represents the bank's inaugural note issue. Bradbury Wilkinson, then operating out of their New Malden works in Surrey, handled production across the full series, as they did for a considerable number of Gulf states during this period when British printing houses effectively monopolised the region's banknote contracts.
The issue span of over a decade reflects political stability unusual in the Gulf at the time. Iraqi invasion in August 1990 forced a complete currency replacement — vast quantities of Kuwaiti notes were looted and later surfaced in bulk on international markets, depressing values for the entire pre-invasion series.