- This article is about the coin issued in 1970 (AH1390). For the piece issued in 1946 (AH1365), see Omani 2 baisa coin (1946).
| 2 baisa | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Country |
|
| Value |
0.002 rial |
| Years |
1970 (AH1390) |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
1.75 g |
| Diameter |
16 mm |
| Thickness |
1.27 mm |
| Composition |
bronze |
| Appearance | |
| Shape |
round |
| Alignment |
medallic |
| Edge |
plain |
| Obverse |
National emblem of Muscat and Oman, monarch title |
| Reverse |
Value, year |
| v · d · e | |
The 2 baisa coin is a circulation piece of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, a former Middle Eastern country once located in present-day Oman. It was issued in a single type in 1970, during the later reign of Sultan Said bin Taimur (1910–1972; r. 1932–1970), along with similar 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 baisa pieces. Each of these six coins was officially distributed by the Government of Muscat and Oman and struck under commission at the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom.
Prior to its eventual demonetization, the 1 baisa piece circulated as legal tender in Muscat and Oman. It was the lowest denominated coin of the rial Saidi, carrying a nominal value equivalent to 0.002 rial.
The piece is composed of a bronze alloy and measures 1.75 grams in mass, 16 millimeters in diameter, and 1.27 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and like most ocins, is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and decorated with a dentilated border.
The national emblem of Muscat and Oman – a sheathed khanjar superimposed upon two crossed swords – is illustrated in the center of the obverse. Printed counterclockwise along the rim above is the name of the reigning sultan, rendered in Arabic as "سعيد بن تيمور" (Romanized: Said bin Taimur). Inscribed in the opposite direction at the periphery below is the Arabic inscription "سلطان مسقط وعمان" (Romanized: Sulṭān Masqaṭ wa-Umān), which translates to English as "Sultan of Muscat and Oman".
A large numeral "۲" (2) is engraved in the middle of the reverse, the Arabic word "بيسة" (Romanized: baisa) printed counterclockwise at the periphery above. The Islamic date of minting, "١٣٩٠" (1390), is engraved at the bottom of the piece, and small depictions of the national emblem of Muscat and Oman are featured at the left and right sides of the coin.
A total of around 4,002,102 examples of the coin were produced. Of these, around 3,994,500 were minted as business strikes; about 5,500 were made with a special uncirculated finish; and about 2,102 were manufactured with a proof finish. All of the uncirculated pieces were sold in official mint sets and most (if not all) of the proofs were distributed in official proof sets by the Government of Muscat and Oman.
References[]
- Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – Muscat & Oman - 2 Baisa, KM# 36 (1970)
- Colnect – 2 Baisa (1970)
- Numista – 2 Baisa (1970) (English) (French)
- Schön, Günter and Gerhard, Weltmünzkatalog 20. Jahrhundert, 44. Auflage, 2016, Battenberg Gietl Verlag, ISBN 9783866461192
Omani rial on the English Wikipedia
Template:Omani rial