Catalog
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| Issuer | Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency |
|---|---|
| Year | 1960 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central arched vignette enclosing the Saudi national emblem — a palm tree above two crossed swords — set over a fine guilloche underprint of repeating teardrop motifs. The English inscription 'SAUDI ARABIAN MONETARY AGENCY' runs across the top, with 'TEN RIYALS' in block letters to the right. Arabic denomination and issuer text appear below the central vignette, with rosette ornaments at each corner. |
| Reverse lettering | SAUDI ARABIAN MONETARY AGENCY TEN RIYALS مؤسسة النقد العربي السعودي عشرة ريالات |
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| Comments |
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency was established in 1952, and its earliest note issues were politically delicate — religious opposition to paper currency depicting human imagery forced design compromises that shaped the entire early SAMA series. This note belongs to the second issue, the first having appeared in 1954, and De La Rue held the printing contract throughout both.
The P#8 series was withdrawn relatively quickly as Saudi oil revenues accelerated the need for a more sophisticated currency infrastructure, and the 1961 establishment of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency's expanded regulatory framework preceded a full redesign. Surviving circulated examples frequently show edge wear concentrated at the folds, consistent with the humid Gulf coastal trade routes where notes degraded faster than in the interior.