1 Rial 2005. First issue, Oman
| in Krause book | Number: 43a |
| Years of issue: | 2005 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Sultan of Oman: Sultan Qaboos bin Said |
| Serie: | 35th National Day 1970-2005 |
| Specimen of: | 2005 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 145 х 76 |
| Printer: | TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
The Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said and cornerstones.
Avers:
Qaboos bin Said Al Said ( قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد, born 18 November 1940, Salalah, Oman, dies 10 January 2020) was the Sultan of Oman and its Dependencies. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Said bin Taimur, in a palace coup in 1970. He is the 14th-generation descendant of the founder of the Al Bu Sa'idi dynasty.
By combining the Imamat of Oman and the Muscat Sultanate in a single state, the Sultan then, with the support of Great Britain and Shah's Iran, managed to defeat the insurgency in Dhofar. In November 1996, Sultan Qaboos signed the first Basic Law (Constitution) of Oman. 
In lower left corner and centered are the national emblems of Oman (شعار سلطنة عمان). It is an insignia consisting of a khanjar inside its sheath that is superimposed upon two crossed swords. Adopted in the XVIII century as the badge of the Omani royal family, it subsequently became the national emblem of the Sultanate of Oman. The emblem is featured at the canton on the Flag of Oman.
The national emblem was first designed in the mid-XVIII century, when it was adopted as the royal crest of the Al Said dynasty. Its usage was expanded when it subsequently became the national emblem of the sultanate. This occurred during the reign of either Faisal bin Turki (1888-1913) or Taimur bin Feisal (1913-1932). The emblem was later incorporated onto the canton of the country's national flag in 1970. Moreover, in order to distinguish "directly royal entities" and create a distinct symbol for these organizations, a crown was added to the top of the national emblem. This modified insignia is utilized on the badges of all branches of Sultan's Armed Forces, including the Royal Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Guard, and Royal Oman Police - among many others.
According to the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the khanjar - along with the two crossed swords - symbolize the historic weapons utilized by the people of Oman. They are attached together by an embellished horse-bit at the center. The khanjar itself is a national symbol of the sultanate, and is still worn by Omani men as a "ceremonial dagger" for formal occasions. It is a ceremonial dagger with its abundantly decorated sheath, traditionally made of rhinonoceros-horn, highly appreciated in the arab world and for that reason contributes substantially to the extinction of the rhinoceros in Africa.
Centered, on background, is the Omani incense burner.
After coffee has been served rosewater is sprinkled over the hands and sometimes over the heads of guests. Then incense is carried around, and its smoke is wafted into the beard and over the body. In the harem the women often put the burner under their clothing so that the aroma pervades the whole body for some time. Incense is the sign for departure as the Omani proverb shows: After the incense, there is no sitting on.
Precious aromatic resin - incense - for many millennia was the only source of income for the inhabitants of settlements lost in the desert. The southern part of the desert, stretching across the entire Arabian peninsula, borders on the Omani province of Dhofar. It is here on the stony high-mountain plateau that the trees covered with legends grow.
Even in ancient times, the south-western region of the state of Oman - Dhofar was known as an important center for trading incense. As the legend says, one of the three kings who made the pilgrimage to the places where Jesus spent his infancy, and carried incense, went just from Dhofar. Today, when incense is not used so widely, there are only a few places in the world where it can still be found, for example in Yemen and Oman.
The incense obtained in Dhofar was called "Sakhalit" by the name of the bay. Probably, it was either the Omani or the Gulf of Aden. Because of the large number of fogs in this area, there is a legend that incense is a dew falling on trees. In fact, in Dhofar incense is extracted in this way: on the incense tree, the notches are made at the end of March (the month "kand"). In the subsequent after this rainy season, the juice, similar to milk, rises along the trunk and flows out of the notches. Arabs call incense only "tears of the gods." Three or four weeks he dries on the trunks of trees, then comes the time of harvest. From one tree they gather up to 400 grams of incense. Local residents believe that smoking drives them out of the devil. Previously, all the Bedouins of the village lived at the expense of incense. Today only old people know where trees grow and how to handle them.
In ancient times, incense was for Omanis what oil is today, the most important export commodity and source of well-being. Caravans of camels went from Oman to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. From here merchants carried fragrant resin to Europe. Trade in incense has long played no such important role as in the old days, but on the plateau of Dhofar, still over 300,000 trees are crying with divine tears. In the market of incense in port cities, which only is not present - incense, sandalwood, myrrh and rose oils. Sultry air is impregnated with tart and sometimes lusciously sweet fumes. In Oman, according to tradition, the residents are already lighting incense sticks early in the morning. They believe that their clothes, their homes and themselves should smell nice. Although sometimes all of this starts to make you dizzy ...
Denominations are in three corners, in words centered.
Revers:
Commemorative issue. It was made to commemorate the 35th National Day.
18 of November is the National day of Oman, as well as birthday of Sultan Qaboos. The National Day Is celebrated every year in honor of His Majesty's accession to the throne, in 1970.
Thats why on banknote is commemorative logo of 35th National Day - the flower of цветок Scabiosa sp. Which exactly Scabiosa is that - I still cannot say.
And now more exactly about other images on banknote:
On left side is RNOV Shabab Oman, without sails..
RNOV Shabab Oman is a barquentine which serves as a training ship for the Royal Navy of Oman.
Originally named the Captain Scott after explorer Robert Falcon Scott, Shabab Oman was built as a standing topgallant yard schooner by Herd and McKenzie of Buckie, Scotland in 1971. Built for the Dulverton Trust, she was run by the Loch Eil Trust in programs which combined sail training with onshore expeditions.
In 1967, Victor Clark and Kurt Hahn had enlisted Prince Philip's aid in finding sponsorship for a new youth-training ship. Clark then skippered her until 1974.
In 1977, the vessel was sold to Sultan Qābūs bin Sa‘īd of Oman and placed under the purview of the Ministry of Youth. Her name was changed to Shabab Oman, which can be translated as "Youth of Oman." In 1979, she was inducted into the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) as a sail training ship.
In 1984, Shabab Oman was refitted as a barquentine.
Shabab Oman is constructed of Scottish oak and pine from Uruguay. Her lower masts are aluminum alloy, and her upper masts and spars are rattan plywood
It is 52 meters long and 30 meters high.
In 1992 the ship took part in the Gran Regatta de Colon sailing from Cádiz to San Juan, Puerto Rico along with other tall ships from throughout the world led by recreations of the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María.
In 1989, J Lawson Modelmakers of Lincolnshire, England were tasked to build a half scale replica of the ship as part of the Sultanate of Oman Navy involvement in the 21st national Day celebrations. The model took some 18 months to plan, procure and manufacture on site in Muscat. Shabab Oman was replaced by a new ship of the same name in August 2014, but remains moored at the RNOV naval base.
On top are flying greater flamingos.
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, in the Middle East and southern Europe.
This is the largest species of flamingo, averaging 110-150 cm. (43-59 in.) tall and weighing 2-4 kg. (4.4-8.8 lb.). The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm. (74 in.) tall and 4.5 kg. (9.9 lb.). It is closely related to the American flamingo and Chilean flamingo, with which it has sometimes been considered conspecific.
Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. Most of the plumage is pinkish white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.
Sub-adult flamingos are whitish grey and only attain the pink coloration several years into their adult life. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids. During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their color. This cosmetic use of uropygial secretions has been described as applying "make-up".
The bird resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms and mollusks. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.
At the bottom are old Omani silver jewelry.
Among them, you can recognize the silver female anklet bracelet of Baluchi people.
Rare finely decorated Omani Baluchi anklet must be treated with caution, as these anklets seem to have been more widely worn, principally along the Batinah coast, rather than in the interior, but by both Arab and Baluchi women.
These old pieces have a sharp outer edge. Very fine and sharp designs. Measures: inside 7 cm., outside 13 cm. Weight: 250 gram.
Silversmiths in Oman created jewellery with melted down silver coins such as the silver rupee and the Maria Theresa thaler. Beautiful pieces with a high silver content were skillfully crafted.
As with many omani woman's jewellery items, most anklets are crafted in silver, but other precious metals (even gold) have occasionally been used. Omani anklets are chunky in design, and hinged, so they can open and close around the ankle. They are often also hollow and contain small pieces of glass, stone or metal, which create a rattle sound in response to body movement.
Above Omani silver jewelry is Minaret, in Al-Husn - Sultan's Palace, in Salalah, Dhofar Region.
Salalah is the hometown of Sultan Qaboos. After he ascended the throne, his permanent residence was the capital of Oman - Muscat.
However, he likes to use this palace, as his summer residence. Previous sultans, including the father of the present, lived permanently in Salalah. But Sultan Qaboos decided to change this tradition.
The palace, known as Al Husn, also called the White or the Old Port, was built in the XVIII century. Interestingly, the reason for the construction was the fresh water source found, because it was around the dug well that the walls of this fort were erected. Subsequent hosts constantly improved and expanded it, so at present it is a large, modern complex of buildings located south of the city center, overlooking the beach. It is surrounded by a thick stone wall, on the land side. The palace is heavily guarded. But go close to the walls and make a couple of photos you can. At present, this center houses the Documentation and Research Center, where scientists study historical documents and ancient artifacts.
In lower right corner is Jalali fortress.
Fort Al Jalali, located on the cliff top, near the residence of Sultan Qaboos, together with his twin fort Al-Mirani was the main defensive line of the capital of Oman - Muscat.
In 1587, Portuguese troops, occupying the Omani sultanate, built the fortress of San Juan on a steep, inaccessible cliff off the coast of Muscat. After the capture of the city by the Omani army in 1650, the fortress was renamed Al-Jalali and significantly rebuilt, new fortifications and towers were added. Today, the traces of Portuguese influence are almost impossible to detect in the architecture of Al-Jalali, except that several Portuguese inscriptions surviving on the walls.
In the 1990s, Sultan Qaboos allocated funds for the reconstruction and restoration of the fort to open the museum of the history of Muscat in it.
The complex is surrounded by an impregnable wall from all sides, you can get to the fort only through the harbor, along a steep rocky staircase leading to a single gate. At the entrance there is a large book in the gold cover, where the records of the most important visitors of Al-Jalali were recorded.
The fortress retained much of its firepower: a battery of cannons, trailed ropes used to fire muskets and guns. Old muskets adorn the walls of the halls. Next to them hang rare illustrations depicting the Portuguese conquests in Muscat.
In the center of the fortress is a multi-level courtyard, with growing trees and running water. From the courtyard opens a passage into several rooms and buildings, built at different levels. Dark rooms without windows served as a prison.
An interesting feature of the structure of the fort is a labyrinth of stairs leading to numerous rooms and towers. The network of stairs and narrow passages ends in a deadlock-trap for opponents, in case they manage to break through the first line of defense. Another strategic part of the defense is heavy wooden doors with iron spikes.
In the halls of the fortress there is a museum where ancient royal decorations, ceremonial weapons and household items are stored.
Denominations in numerals are in top corners. In words in lower left corner.
Comments:
The first issue! On the second issue, the emblem of Oman (in the center) is printed in lighter tones.
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