Bahrain Paper Money: Rare and Common Notes 1964-Now

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Bahrain Paper Money
Rare and Common Notes 1964-Now

FIND BAHRAIN BANKNOTES FOR SALE

Bahrain banknotes have been issued since the 1960s, and consist of  a few different issues over the ensuing decades. Collecting rare Bahrain banknotes can be fun and doesn’t have to break the bank of most buyers, nor is it unfeasible to get complete sets from certain years (or even every available note).

The Early History of Bahraini Paper Money

Early banknotes intended for use in Bahrain were a set of rupee notes from the 1950s issued by the Reserve Bank of India. These “Gulf rupees” were used in not only Bahrain, but also Oman, Qatar, and the Trucial States (modern United Arab Emirates). These are quite rare, but not impossible to find for sale.

True Bahrain Banknotes: 1964 – Now

Although still a British Protectorate, the Persian Gulf islands called Bahrain began issuing its own banknotes in 1964. These notes used as their currency the dinar (دينار‎). Unusually, the dinar was divided not into 100 subunits, but 1,000. The subunit was called fils (فلس).

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1 dinar = 1,000 fils

Note that “fils” is not a plural, and there isn’t a plural for the unit: it’s “one fils” or “one billion fils”. Dinars and fils are still the units used in Bahrain to this day.

1964 Bahrain Currency Board Issue

These notes are easy to identify for Western collectors. The English phrase BAHRAIN CURRENCY BOARD appears on the reverse of each note, along with the value. The obverse features Arabic only. To get a complete set of these 1964 issues, you’ll need these:

  • 100 fils
  • 1/4 dinar (i.e., 250 fils)
  • 1/2 dinar (i.e., 500 fils)
  • 1 dinar
  • 5 dinars
  • 10 dinars

The 5 and 10 dinars notes may be pricier than the others in this set. Rare specimens exist for each of the Bahrain Currency Board notes of 1964. Except for a collector’s specimen set from 1978 (see below), this set was the final that used Bahrain’s fils unit.

See also: Bahrain Coins: Simple Rarities from the Middle East

1973 Bahrain Monetary Agency Issue

Bahrain gained its independence in 1971, and its first currency notes after this came two years later. Again, though the issuing authority has changed its name, it still appears in English on the reverse of the notes, as BAHRAIN MONETARY AGENCY.

  • 1/2 dinar
  • 1 dinar
  • 5 dinars
  • 10 dinars
  • 20 dinars (two different designs, neither much rarer than the other, exist)

Except for the two lowest-valued notes, the paper money in this 1973 series is somewhat rare and will take some patience to get a good deal on a full set, if you’re piecing one together.

1978 Collector Series Issue

This set of special collectors’ notes can be identified by the English word SPECIMEN overprinted on them, and by the small Maltese cross (✠) that precedes the serial number.

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  • 100 fils
  • 1/4 dinar
  • 1/2 dinar
  • 1 dinar
  • 5 dinars
  • 10 dinars
  • 20 dinars

This is the only set to feature a note of each face value that has been used in Bahrain, from 100 fils to 20 dinars. It includes the last Bahrain paper money note to use fils.

The 1986 1/2 Dinar Note

In 1986, again emblazoned BAHRAIN MONETARY AGENCY, a 1/2-dinar note was issued. The next full set wouldn’t come for another seven years, however.

1993 Bahrain Monetary Agency Issue

Completing the work begun in 1986 perhaps, another full set of Bahrain currency notes, featuring new designs, was issued in 1993.

  • 1 dinar
  • 5 dinars
  • 10 dinars
  • 20 dinars*

* If you have a 20-dinar note from this set, look at the two Arabic characters that appear before the serial number. If they have an extra space between them, then the note is an unused and unauthorized note, an interesting curio currently valued for collectors at about $10.

Browse 130 current Bahrain banknotes for sale offers here

1996 1/2 Dinar Note

As it had ten years earlier, Bahrain updated its half-dinar banknote in 1996.

1998 Bahrain Monetary Agency Issue

The 1996 note was quickly replaced as part of a new full set in 1998:

  • 1/2 dinar
  • 1 dinar
  • 5 dinars
  • 10 dinars
  • 20 dinars (again, two designs issued, with the purple variety being much more valuable than the orange and black one)

2007 20 Dinars Banknote

A single 20-dinar note was issued in 2001, the final Bahraini paper money to feature BAHRAIN MONETARY AGENCY.

2007 Central Bank of Bahrain Issue

A new issuing authority was used in 2007 for a new, updated set of Bahraini paper notes. With modern designs and attractive colors, these notes can generally be purchased at face value. On the back, in mixed-case English, you can see the legend Central Bank of Bahrain and the value. The name of the central bank in Arabic script, incidentally, is مصرف البحرين المركزي.

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  • 1/2 dinar
  • 1 dinar
  • 5 dinars
  • 10 dinars
  • 20 dinars

2016 Central Bank of Bahrain Banknotes

Bahrain replaced its two highest-denomination notes in 2016 with upgraded security features.

  • 10 dinars
  • 20 dinars

The Bahrain Rare Paper Money Marketplace

Obtaining a full set of Bahrain banknotes, as mentioned above, is not out of the question for most collectors. Many sellers will offer multi-note bricks or complete sets form the various issues over the years. While the number of different pieces is manageable for lovers of Bahrain’s banknotes, there is still enough variety that choosing your favorites and watching sales lists is still an absorbing and rewarding experience. 

Bahrain banknotes for sale

Currently showing our favorite 130 sales from eBay vendors. Click for shipping details and money-back guarantee info. Bahrain banknotes listings are chosen using MegaMinistore's original custom technology. We show you only the latest and best listings from safe, trusted vendors. Offers are updated and refreshed every day.

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Showing 1 - 10 of 130

$100 banknotes nice serial end with star *

Seller: sayedalmi0 ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (1 ratings)
Location: Bahrain

$150.00 or best offer

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RARE 1 Rupee Persian Gulf Issue - Year 1959 Prefix Z/12 186303

Seller: ahm_1982 ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (194 ratings)
Location: Oman

$122.00

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[#632629] Banknote,​ Bahrain,​ 20 Dinars,​ L.1973,​ KM:23,​ EF

Seller: cdma59 ★★★★★★★★★★ 99.7% (72,733 ratings)
Location: France

$167.70 or best offer

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Bahrain 1964 P-1a PMG Gem UNC 65 EPQ 100 Fils

Seller: stampsonthenile ★★★★★★★★★★ 98.8% (256 ratings)
Location: United States

$149.99 or best offer

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Bahrain 1973 P-7 PMG Superb Gem UNC 67 EPQ 1/2 Dinar

Seller: stampsonthenile ★★★★★★★★★★ 98.8% (256 ratings)
Location: United States

$189.99 or best offer

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Bahrain 1 Dinar 1964 ( Replacement ) ( RD1 ) P-4a VF

Seller: abo-ayman ★★★★★★★★★★ 98% (2,057 ratings)
Location: Israel

$190.00

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Bahrain 20 Dinars,​ L.1973 (2001 ND),​ P-24,​ PMG 65

Seller: banknoteworld ★★★★★★★★★★ 99.2% (33,192 ratings)
Location: United States

$199.99

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Bahrain 20 Dinars 2006 ND 2016 P 34 a LOW 2 Digit# 28 Superb Gem UNC PMG 67 EPQ

Seller: noteshobby ★★★★★★★★★★ 99.8% (156,890 ratings)
Location: Thailand

$133.28

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Bahrain 5 Fils,​ 2016 (AH1437),​ KM #30,​ Mint X 1000 PCS

Seller: banknoteworld ★★★★★★★★★★ 99.2% (33,192 ratings)
Location: United States

$189.99

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BAHRAIN 1964 1/4 DINAR P2

Seller: indoworldcurrency ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (671 ratings)
Location: Indonesia

$205.00 or best offer

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