The Central Bank of Oman was established in 1974, replacing the Currency Board that had managed the Omani rial since its introduction in 1973 — itself a redenomination of the Dhofari rial, which had been issued during the Dhofar Rebellion. By the time this P#28 series entered circulation, that conflict was long over and Oman's oil revenues had fundamentally restructured the economy, pushing high-denomination notes into routine commercial use rather than occasional transactions.
Thomas De La Rue had printed Omani currency from the earliest issues, and this series continues that unbroken relationship. The watermark security on this series is relatively modest by later Omani standards — subsequent issues added security threads and more complex intaglio work as counterfeiting pressures increased across the Gulf region through the 1990s.
The Central Bank of Oman was established in 1974, replacing the Currency Board that had managed the Omani rial since its introduction in 1973 — itself a redenomination of the Dhofari rial, which had been issued during the Dhofar Rebellion. By the time this P#28 series entered circulation, that conflict was long over and Oman's oil revenues had fundamentally restructured the economy, pushing high-denomination notes into routine commercial use rather than occasional transactions.
Thomas De La Rue had printed Omani currency from the earliest issues, and this series continues that unbroken relationship. The watermark security on this series is relatively modest by later Omani standards — subsequent issues added security threads and more complex intaglio work as counterfeiting pressures increased across the Gulf region through the 1990s.