Bahrain Banknotes 10 Dinar bank note 1979 Bahrain Monetary Agency
Obverse: On the front of the note, the title of the new issuing authority appears at the top - Bahrain Monetary Agency, 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. The 10-dinar note carries a vignette of a wind-tower on its front. Before the days of airconditioners and fans, the architects of the Arabian Gulf had devised the use of wind towers to provide ventilation. The towers were square, but were divided into four triangular shafts by an internal frame. The towers could capture a breeze from any direction and direct it into the building in which it was incorporated. As the cool air was directed into the building, the warm air inside was forced up the opposite side of the wind-tower. Usually found in houses that belonged to the well-to-do, there are now very few examples of original wind-towers to be found anywhere in the Gulf, although they do exist. However, some modern buildings incorporate mock wind towers in an effort to capture the architectural style of the old buildings.
Reverse: The back of the 10-dinar note carries an aerial view of the Bahrain dry dock. The Bahrain dry dock is located on the small island of Muharraq, which is also home to the International Airport. When the dry dock was opened on 23 October 1977, it was the only facility between Portugal and Singapore that could service supertankers. The dry dock was financed by several of the Gulf nations and remains an import source of revenue for Bahrain. The facility was officially dedicated at a ceremony on 15 December 1977.
Bahrain banknotes - Bahrain paper money
Bahrain Monetary Agency - L. 1979 "Arms" Issue
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.