Yemeni dinar explained

Name Abbr:	Dinar
Currency Name In Local:	الدينار اليمني
Image 1:	10 Yemeni dinar Obverse.jpg
Image Title 1:	Ten dinar banknote
Iso Code:	YDD
Using Countries:	Yemen (till 11 June 1996)
Plural:	Dinars
Symbol:	£
Subunit Name 1:	fils
Used Coins:	, 5, 10, 50, 100, 250 fils
Used Banknotes:	500 fils, £1, £5, £10
Issuing Authority:	Bank of Yemen
Replaced Currency:	East African Shilling
Replaced By Currency:	Yemeni rial
Obsolete:	1996

The dinar (ar|دينار; sign: £) was the currency of South Arabia, and then South Yemen, and the Republic of Yemen after Yemen's monetary unification on 1 July 1990. It was one of the two official currencies used in Yemen until 11 June 1996. It was subdivided into 1000 fils (فلس).

History

The dinar was introduced in 1965 as the South Arabian dinar, replacing the East African shilling at a rate of 1 dinar = 20 shillings, thus setting the dinar initially equal to one pound sterling, it also used the pound sign as its Latin script symbol. It was renamed the South Yemeni dinar after the Federation of South Arabia and the Protectorate of South Arabia united in 1967 as independent South Yemen. The South Yemeni dinar was replaced with the Yemeni rial following unification with North Yemen in 1990. Dinar banknotes remained legal tender during a transitional period until 1996. The exchange rate during that period was £1 = 26 YER.

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

Coins

In 1965, coins (dated 1964) were introduced for both the Federation of South Arabia and the Protectorate of South Arabia in denominations of 1, 5, 25 and 50 fils. The 1 fils was struck in aluminium, the 5 fils in bronze and the higher two denominations in cupro-nickel.

In 1971, coins were issued in the name of "Democratic Yemen", changing to the "People's Democratic Republic of Yemen" in 1973. That year, aluminium fils were introduced, followed by aluminium 10 fils and cupro-nickel 100 and 250 fils in 1981. The 10 fils was scalloped shaped whilst the 100 fils was octagonal.

Banknotes

On 1 April 1965, the South Arabian Currency Authority introduced notes in denominations of 250 fils, 500 fils, 1 dinar, and 5 dinars. A 10 dinar note was issued on 1 July 1967.^[1]

Image		Value	Main Colour	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Main Colour	Obverse	Reverse	Printing	Issue
		250 fils	Brown	Dhow boat with Port of Aden in background	Date Palm tree
		500 fils	Green	Dhow boat with Port of Aden in background	Date palm, wheat
		1 dinar	Blue	Dhow boat with Port of Aden in background Lettering: South Arabian Currency Authority This note is legal tender for One Dinar	Date palm and cottonLettering: £1 د١
		5 dinars	Pink	Dhow boat with Port of Aden in background	Date palm, millet and cotton
		10 dinars	Black	Dhow boat with Port of Aden in backgroundLettering: South Arabian Currency Authority This note is legal tender for Ten Dinars	Date palm, cotton, maize and wheatLettering: £10 د١٠

In 1984, the Bank of Yemen introduced 500 fils as well as 1 dinar, 5 dinar, and 10 dinar notes that are like the preceding issues of South Arabia, except the English text and printer's imprint have been removed from the front, the name of the issuer has changed and now appears on the back, along with the name of the capital (ADEN).^[2]

Image		Value	Main Colour	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Main Colour	Obverse	Reverse	Printing	Issue
		500 fils
		1 dinar
		5 dinars
		10 dinars

Notes and References

Book: Linzmayer . Owen . The Banknote Book . South Arabia . www.BanknoteNews.com . 2012 . San Francisco, CA .
Book: Linzmayer . Owen . The Banknote Book . Democratic Republic of Yemen . www.BanknoteNews.com . 2012 . San Francisco, CA .