Description

Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 28 January 1950) is the 1st King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its 2nd Emir (from 6 March 1999). He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous and 1st Emir. The country has been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty since 1783.

The Pearl Monument is featured on the face of the Bahraini half-dinar coin, the highest value coin in Bahraini currency. The Central Bank of Bahrain reportedly asked banks to exchange their half-dinar coins for half-dinar banknotes after the Pearl Monument was destroyed. The coin is no longer minted or distributed by the Central Bank of Bahrain.

Obverse

Pearl Monument in Manama. State name in Arabic and English and date in English.

The Pearl Monument previously stood in the center of the Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout, a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The monument has been erected in 1982 on the occasion of the third summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which was hosted by Bahrain for the first time in Manama on November 9–11 of that year.

The Pearl Monument consisted of six dhow "sails" projecting up to the sky, which came together to hold a pearl at the top. The six sails designated the Gulf Cooperation Council's six member nations, while the pearl symbolized their united heritage and the country's famous history of pearl cultivation. At the base of the monument was a dodecagonal pool with fountain jets.

On the morning of March 18, 2011, the government tore down the Pearl Monument, the rallying point for anti-government protests. The government announced on state broadcaster BTV that the monument had been "violated" and "desecrated" by the "vile" anti-government protests, and had to be "cleansed." In the government's haste, a migrant crane worker was crushed to death by a falling cement arch.

KINGDOM OF مملكة
BAHRAIN البحرين
2002

Reverse

Denomination in Arabic and English.

فلس
500
FILS

Edge

500 Fils

Kingdom
KM# 27 Schön# 26
Characteristics
Material Bi-Metallic
Ring Cupronickel
Center Brass
Weight 9 g
Diameter 27 mm
Thickness 2 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal

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