Obverse. Photo © Heritage Auctions
  • 50 Dirhams 1981, KM# P1, United Arab Emirates, Zayed, International Year of the Child
  • 50 Dirhams 1981, KM# P1, United Arab Emirates, Zayed, International Year of the Child
Description

A piedfort is an unusually thick coin, often exactly twice the normal weight and thickness of other coins of the same diameter and pattern. Piedforts are not normally circulated, and are only struck for presentation purposes by mint officials (such as patterns), or for collectors, dignitaries, and other VIPs.

UNESCO proclaimed 1979 as the International Year of the Child. The proclamation was signed on January 1, 1979 by United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim. A follow-up to the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the proclamation was intended to draw attention to problems that affected children throughout the world, including malnutrition and lack of access to education. Many of these efforts resulted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918–2004) was an Emirati leader, credited with founding the United Arab Emirates. He governed the Eastern Region before becoming Abu Dhabi's ruler in 1966 and later the UAE's first president until his passing in 2004. Revered as the "Father of the Nation," he played a pivotal role in uniting the seven emirates. Zayed succeeded his brother as Abu Dhabi's ruler after a peaceful coup in 1966.

Obverse

Depicts the denomination in Arabic characters surrounded by the name of the country. The mint mark (CHI) is below the value.

الامارات العربية المتحدة
٥٠
درهماً
CHI
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Reverse

Depicts the logo of the event (two girls dancing Khaleegy wearing traditional costumes, Abaya) with the logo (playing child in front of the wreath) of the International Year of the Child, and the logo of UNESCO on both sides encircled by the inscription above, date in Hijri and Gregorian calendar year below.

The Abaya, a long, elegant cloak traditionally black in color, is the national dress for women in the UAE. It covers the body except for the face, feet, and hands, though some women pair it with a niqāb and Gafaaz to cover their face and hands.

Khaleegy, or Khaliji, is a blend of modern and traditional folkloric dance from the Persian Gulf countries, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE. The dance involves rows of women moving slowly in close proximity, swaying their hair while keeping their hips mostly stationary. The costume, usually colorful and embroidered, plays a significant role. Khaliji music, which accompanies the dance, dates back over 1,000 years to the Islamic period under the Umayyads.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD
١٤٠٠ 1980

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 54.35 g
Diameter 40 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Swissmint

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