The
dinar () (
sign:
.د.ب or
BD;
code:
BHD) is the
currency of
Bahrain. It is divided into 1000
fils (فلس). The name
dinar derives from the Roman
denarius. The dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the
Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated .د.ب (Arabic) or
BD (Latin). It is usually represented with three decimal places denoting the fils.
Coins
In 1965, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 fils. The 1, 5 and 10 fils were struck in bronze, with the others in cupro-nickel. The 1 fils coin was not produced after 1966 and no longer circulates. In 1992, brass replaced bronze in the 5 and 10 fils and a
bimetallic 100 fils coin was introduced. A bimetallic 500 fils followed in 2000.
For a wider history surrounding currency in the region, see
The History of British Currency in the Middle East.
Banknotes
In 1965, The Bahrain Currency Board introduced notes in denominations of 100 fils, ¼, ½, 1, 5 and 10 dinar. In 1973, the
Bahrain Monetary Agency took over production of paper money, issuing notes for ½, 1, 5, 10 and 20 dinar. In 2006, the Monetary Agency was renamed the Central Bank. On March 2, 2008, the Central Bank of Bahrain has released pictures of the new notes bearing its name in the local newspapers. The Central Bank stated that the new notes will be released shortly. The new notes also feature new images reflecting Bahrain's heritage as well as its modern development.
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