| Bahraini dinar | |
|---|---|
| دينار بحريني (Arabic) | |
| ISO 4217 code | BHD |
| User(s) | Bahrain |
| Inflation | 7% |
| Source | The World Factbook, 2008 est. |
| Pegged with | U.S. dollar = BD 0.376 |
| Subunit | |
| 1/1000 | fils |
| Symbol | .د.ب (Arabic) or BD (Latin) |
| Coins | 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, BD ½ ( 500 fils ) |
| Banknotes | BD ½, BD 1, BD 5, BD 10, BD 20 |
| Monetary authority | Central Bank of Bahrain |
| Website | www.cbb.gov.bh |
The dinar (Arabic: دينار Dīnār Baḥrainī) (sign: .د.ب or BD; code: BHD) is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils (فلس). The name dinar derives from the Roman denarius. The dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated .د.ب (Arabic) or BD (Latin). It is usually represented with three decimal places denoting the fils.
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In 1965, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 fils. The 1, 5 and 10 fils were struck in bronze, with the others in cupro-nickel. The 1 fils coin was not produced after 1966 and no longer circulates. In 1992, brass replaced bronze in the 5 and 10 fils and a bimetallic 100 fils coin was introduced. A bimetallic 500 fils followed in 2000.
| Coins of the Bahraini dinar | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Diameter | Weight | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | First Minted Year |
| 1 fils | ?? mm | ?? g | Bronze | Palm tree | Value | 1965 | |
| 5 fils | 18 mm | ?? g | Bronze | Palm tree | Value | 1965 | |
| 10 fils | 24 mm | ?? g | Bronze | Palm tree | Value | 1965 | |
| 25 fils | ?? mm | ?? g | Cupro-nickel | Palm tree | Value | 1965 | |
| 50 fils | 20 mm | ?? g | Cupro-nickel | Palm tree | Value | 1965 | |
| 100 fils | 25 mm | ?? g | Cupro-nickel | Palm tree | Value | 1965 | |
| 5 fils | 19 mm | 2,50 g | Brass | Palm tree | Value | 1992 | |
| 10 fils | 21 mm | 3.35 g | Brass | Palm tree | Value | 1992 | |
| 25 fils | 20 mm | 2,35 g | Cupro-nickel | Dilmo Civilization seal | Value | 1992 | |
| 50 fils | 22 mm | 3.5 g | Cupro-nickel | Boat (Dhow) | Value | 1992 | |
| 100 fils | 24 mm | 6 g | Brass ring, cupro-nickel centre | Coat of Arms | Value | 1992 | |
| 500 fils | 27 mm | 9 g | Cupro-nickel ring, brass centre | Pearl over tripod depicting Pearl Roundabout |
Value | 2000 | |
For a wider history surrounding currency in the region, see The History of British Currency in the Middle East.
On October 16, 1965, the Bahrain Currency Board introduced notes in denominations of ¼, ½, 1, 5 and 10 dinar; a 100-fil note was introduced on September 2, 1967[1]. In 1973, the Bahrain Monetary Agency took over the issuance of paper money, and in 1979 it introduced a new family of notes dated 1973 in Arabic, with denominations of ½, 1, 5, 10 and 20 dinar. On September 7, 2006[2], the Bahrain Monetary Agency was renamed the Central Bank of Bahrain. On March 17, 2008, the Central Bank of Bahrain introduced a new family of notes reflecting Bahrain's heritage as well as its modern development. Saudi riyals are also acceptable in Bahrain, with the exception of the Saudi 500 riyal note which is only accepted in major supermarkets, airports and electronic shops.
| 4th series (154mm x 74mm) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Main Colour | Front Side | Back Side | |
| ½ Dinar | Brown/Peach | Old Bahrain Court | Bahrain International Circuit | ||
| 1 Dinar | Red | Al Hedya Al Khalifiya School (Bahrain first school) | Galloping Arabian Horses and the Sail and Pearl monument | ||
| 5 Dinar | Blue | Shaikh Isa House in Muharraq and Riffa Fort | First oil well in Bahrain and Aluminum Bahrain (Alba) | ||
| 10 Dinar | Green | Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah (Bahrain King) | Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Causeway | ||
| 20 Dinar | Brown/light blue | Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah (Bahrain King) | Al Fateh Islamic Center | ||
In December 1980, the dinar was officially pegged to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). In practice, it is fixed at 1 U.S. dollar = BD .376, which translates to approximately 1 dinar = 2.65957 dollars[3] and, consequently, almost 10 Saudi Arabian Riyals. This rate was made official in 2001. Before Malta's adoption of the euro on 1 January 2008, it was the third highest-valued currency unit after the Kuwaiti dinar and Maltese lira. After Malta adopted the Euro, the dinar became the second highest-valued currency unit.
| Current BHD exchange rates | |
|---|---|
| From Google Finance: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
| From Yahoo! Finance: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
| From OzForex: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
| From XE.com: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
| From OANDA.com: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
Note: Rates obtained from these websites may contradict with pegged rate mentioned above
| Preceded by: Gulf rupee Ratio: 1 dinar = 10 rupees = 0.75 British pound |
Currency of Bahrain 1965 – |
Succeeded by: Current |
| Currency of Abu Dhabi 1966 – 1973 |
Succeeded by: United Arab Emirates dirham Ratio: 1 dirham = 0.1 dinar |
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