ArabianCoins Network

Coins of Bahrainfrom the Gulf rupee to the modern dinar

Bahrain's numismatic story begins with the Indian rupee and the Gulf rupee, which circulated across the Trucial States before independence. The Bahrain Currency Board issued the first domestic coins in 1965 — a clean fils system with denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 fils. These early pieces, struck at the Royal Mint, carry the distinctive palm tree motif.

The Bahrain Monetary Agency took over currency issuance in 1973, and in 2006 the Central Bank of Bahrain assumed this role. Bahrain's commemorative program is rich for a small nation, featuring gold and silver issues marking events from the opening of the Isa Town to the 50th anniversary of the monetary system. The bimetallic 100 fils (introduced 2006) modernized the circulating series.

Gulf Rupee Era (pre-1965)Bahrain Monetary Agency (1965–2002)Central Bank of Bahrain (2002–present)Commemoratives

Bahrain used the Indian rupee and then the Gulf rupee before the Bahrain Currency Board introduced its own fils coinage in 1965, one of the first independent currencies in the Persian Gulf. The Bahraini dinar, at 1,000 fils, is one of the highest-valued currency units in the world. Early coins feature the palm tree — Bahrain's ancient symbol, echoing its historical name "the land of a million palm trees." The Bahrain Monetary Agency (1973–2006) oversaw modernization of the series, and the Central Bank of Bahrain continues today. The CBB's Currency Museum in Manama houses some of the rarest coins in the Gulf region, including Dilmun-era trade weights and pearling tokens.