500 Rials Sana'a

Yemen's shift to higher-denomination coinage in the early 2000s reflected the rial's sustained devaluation following the 1994 civil war, which left the unified country's economy severely contracted. The 500-rial coin was a practical response to a currency that had lost most of its purchasing power since unification in 1990.

The Sana'a designation in the coin's name refers to the capital and its historic old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.