1 Dinar 1979, Bahrain
| in Krause book | Number: 8 |
| Years of issue: | 16.12.1979 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Chairman of the Agency’s Board of Directors: Shaikh Khlifah bin Sulman al Khalifah |
| Serie: | 1973 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 1973 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 148 x 68 |
| 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:
Falcon.
The saker falcon (Falco cherrug). This bird has a great emotional significance for the indigenous population.
There is an opinion, that the national bird of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar is not the Saker, but its hunting hybrid with Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus). However - The first successful results of obtaining a hybrid of gyrfalcon and saker were obtained in the early 1970s in Ireland, that is, when the national bird of the UAE was already identified and there were already circulating banknotes with the image of Saker Falcon. Today - indeed, this hybrid is popular in falconry in many countries, including the OAE and Qatar.
The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) is a large species of falcon. This species breeds from eastern Europe eastwards across Asia to Manchuria. It is mainly migratory except in the southernmost parts of its range, wintering in Ethiopia, the Arabian peninsula, northern Pakistan and western China.
The specific part of the scientific name, cherrug, comes from the Hindi name charg for a female saker. The common name saker comes from the (Arabic: صقر, translit. Ṣaqr) meaning "falcon". 
Avers:
Crimson and red intaglio printing, with an under-print of khaki, red, crimson, blue, pink and pale purple.
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians claim the dhow was invented by Arabs or Indians, but the majority give the credit to the Chinese. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels primarily used to carry heavy items, like fruit, fresh water or merchandise, along the coasts of the Eastern Arabia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and East Africa. Larger dhows have crews of approximately thirty, smaller ones typically around twelve.
At the left there are three features. The most dominant of the three features is a map of the Bahrain archipelago, to the left of which appears a vignette of a minaret of the Al Fadhel mosque, while to the right is disc displaying the points of the compass, surmounted by a device showing North.
On left side is Minaret of Al Fadhel Mosque in Manama.
The Manama mosque was built in 1938 with the first oil revenues. Largely an unimaginative building, the minaret is perhaps the building’s most interesting feature.
This minaret was built in 1938 and became the tallest structure in Manama. Before that, the tallest minaret in Manama, for more than ten years, was the minaret of the bin Khalaf mosque, erected by the local pearl merchant Ahmed bin Khalaf in 1926. (www.flickr.com) (www.flickr.com)
On right side is Bahrains coat of arms.
The current coat of arms of Bahrain is a coat of arms that was originally designed in 1932 by Charles Belgrave, the British adviser to the then-Shaikh of Bahrain. The design has undergone slight modifications since then, namely in 1971 in 2002 when mantling and the indentations of the chief were modified respectively, but the influence of the original design is still clearly visible in the modern blazon.
The arms act as a governmental and national symbol in addition to being the personal arms of the king; only the king, however, may display the royal crown ensigning the coat of arms.
Revers:
The modern headquarters of the Monetary Agency are located on the Corniche in Manama. The building was opened in September 1978.
Comments:
Bahrain became an independent sovereign state on 15 August 1971, but this brought no change to the currency in circulation and the Currency Board continued as Bahrain’s issuing authority. However, it was felt by the Government that Bahrain would be better served by an authority that could operate as a central bank, rather than simply as a currency board. To this end, the Government sought to establish the Bahrain Monetary Agency as the financial regulating authority of Bahrain. The Agency was formerly established by ‘Decree No. 23 of 1973’ on 5 December 1973. Subsuming the responsibilities of the Bahrain Currency Board, the Bahrain Monetary Agency initially maintained the circulation of the notes issued by the Currency Board. The circulation remained unchanged until October 1977 when a decision was taken to remove the 100-fils notes in favour of a coin. Dealing in the100-fils notes ceased in November 1980.
In July 1978 the first note issued by the Bahrain Monetary Agency was released to the public. This note was the new denomination of 20 dinars and it introduced a design on which an entire new series was to be styled. On the front of the note, the title of the new issuing authority appears at the top, the crest of the Ruler of Bahrain appears to the right, a dhow under full sail appears in the centre, while at the left there are three features. The most dominant of the three features is a map of the Bahrain archipelago, to the left of which appears a vignette of a minaret of the al Fadhel mosque, while to the right is disc displaying the points of the compass, surmounted by a device showing North. On the back of the note, to the left, is the new Government House. In the centre is a design containing the denomination, and to the right is a pale area used for viewing the watermark. The note is once again signed by Shaikh Khlifah bin Sulman al Khalifah, the Prime Minister and now Chairman of the Agency’s Board of Directors. The note maintains the solid security thread and the watermark of the falcon’s head, that appeared in the Currency Board’s issue, however the new note introduces a fluorescent feature. This feature occurs on the front of the note and consists of the denomination in Arabic numerals in the upper and lower centre of the note, which become apparent when the note is submitted to ultra-violet light.
The remaining notes of the Bahrain Monetary Agency’s first series were placed into circulation on 16 December 1979. The denominations of ½, 1, 5 and 10 dinars complemented the 20-dinar note issued the previous year. The ¼ dinar was discontinued. The common front, introduced for the 20-dinar note, was maintained for all notes in this issue, as were the solid security thread, the falcon’s head watermark and the fluorescent features of each note’s denomination. The only items that changed for each note were the colour, size, the denominational values and the small vignette on the far left. However, the back of each note carried distinct designs, while all being of a similar style. (Peter Symes)
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