Currency of the United Arab Emirates 500 Dirhams banknote 1983
United Arab Emirates Central Bank
The front of the 500-dirham note is dominated by the head of a sparrow-hawk and the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai appears on the back of the note. The beautiful and distinctive Jumeirah Mosque is built of stone in the style of medieval Fatimid buildings, with twin minarets and an imposing dome. The mosque was built to celebrate the start of the fifteenth century of the Muslim calendar. Micro-printed text was introduced to the notes of the United Arab Emirates on this 500-dirham note. Within the design below the title of the Bank, on the back of the note, is a line of micro-printing which repeats ‘United Arab Emirates Central Bank’.
First issued: 8 December 1982.
Size: 159 mm x 68 mm.
United Arab Emirates Banknotes - UAE Paper Money
United Arab Emirates Central Bank
5 Dirhams 10 Dirhams 20 Dirhams 50 Dirhams
100 Dirhams 500 Dirhams 1000 Dirhams
Following the steady growth of the economy of the United Arab Emirates, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates was established in December 1980, subsuming the duties of the United Arab Emirates Currency Board. Following this initiative, plans were made for the release of new banknotes issued under the responsibility of the new authority. The new issue was subsequently released over several months in 1982. This emission of banknotes consisted of five denominations: 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 dirhams. The 5- and 10-dirham notes were placed into circulation on 1 September 1982, followed by 50- and 100-dirham notes on 20 November 1982, and finally by the 500-dirham note on 8 December 1982. A 1000-dirham note was prepared for this series but never released. Specimen notes of this denomination survive and depict a dhala, a traditional coffee jug, on the front of the note.
Each note in this series has a watermark of the head of a sparrow-hawk and a micro-printed security thread running vertically to the right of centre. The micro-printed text on the security threads reads ‘U.A.E.’, however, there are two varieties of micro-printed text. The 5-, 50- and 500-dirham notes have the letters ‘U.A.E.’ printed quite close together and each group of three letters is also quite close together. In this variety it is sometimes difficult to identify the periods following each letter. The 10- and 100-dirham notes have the letters ‘U.A.E.’ spaced further apart and each group of three letters is also spaced further apart.
Each note in this series carries two latent images of their denomination, to the lower left and right, and each note carries two fluorescent security devices. To the left, over the watermark, is the Saladin eagle, which forms the coat of arms for the United Arab Emirates, while in the centre is the denomination of the note. (These two fluorescent features can only be viewed by the use of ultra-violet light.) In addition to these two features, the serial numbers fluoresce dark green when submitted to ultra-violet light.
The notes of this series, unlike their predecessors, do not have a common design on the front of each denomination. Instead, different patterns are used on each note and an illustration appears to the right, on the front of each note, as well as the back. It is interesting that no attempt has been made to represent an aspect of each emirate on the notes, as was done in the Currency Board issues. Most emirates are not represented with images on the notes and many of the identifiable buildings can be found in Dubai.