United Arab Emirates 1 fils coin

Fils
1973 coin
General information
Country	United Arab Emirates
Value	0.01 dirham
Years	1973–2005 (AH1393–1425)
Measurements and composition
Mass	1.5 g
Diameter	15 mm
Thickness	1.1 mm
Composition	bronze
Appearance
Shape	round
Alignment	medallic
Edge	plain
Obverse	Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera), Gregorian year, Islamic year
Reverse	State title, value
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The 1 fils coin is a current circulating commemorative coin of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was introduced in 1973 in celebration of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and then produced intermittently until its discontinuation in 2005. The piece was originally distributed by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and its precursor, the United Arab Emirates Currency Board, and struck under commission at the Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, and Czech Mint.

The coin is currently legal tender in its country of origin, and continues to circulate for a nominal value of 0.01 dirham. Because of its low purchasing power, however, it is no longer common in circulation.

The coin is composed of a bronze alloy and measures 1.5 grams in mass, 15 millimeters in diameter, and 1.1 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and undecorated.

The obverse of the piece was designed by Geoffrey Colley (1934–?), a prominent British coin designer and engraver. An illustration of three date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) on a piece of land appears in the center of the coin. Native to parts of the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, these trees are widely cultivated for their fruit, which is a common staple crop in the region. Printed counterclockwise along the rim above the illustration is the Arabic inscription "لزيادة انتاج المحاصيل الغذائية" (Romanized: lziyāda 'intāj al-maḥāṣīl al-ḡaḏāiya), which translates to English as "increase crop production". The Islamic date of minting is rendered in Eastern Arabic numerals at the periphery below, and is followed by the equivalent Gregorian year, which is also displayed using the same number system. The two dates are separated from one another by a small horizontal line.

The face value "١ فلس" (Romanized: 1 fils) appears on two lines in the middle of the reverse, the numeral rendered in significantly larger print than the following word. Written counterclockwise along the rim above is the Arabic name of the United Arab Emirates, "الامارات العربية المتحدة" (Romanized: al-Imārāt al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah). Its English equivalent, "UNITED ARAB EMIRATES", is inscribed in the same direction at the periphery below.

The total mintage of the 1 fils coin is currently unknown. Most examples were minted as business strikes, but an unknown number of coins dated 1988, 1989, 1997, and 2004 were manufactured in a Brilliant Uncirculated grade. All of these special uncirculated pieces were distributed in official mint sets by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates.

ReferencesEdit

• Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – United Arab Emirates - Fils, KM# 1 (1973–1997) • United Arab Emirates - Fils, KM# 1 (2005)
• Colnect – 1 Fils (1973–2005)
• Numista – 1 Fils (1973–2005) (English) (French)
• Schön, Günter and Gerhard, Weltmünzkatalog 20. Jahrhundert, 44. Auflage, 2016, Battenberg Gietl Verlag, ISBN 9783866461192
• United Arab Emirates dirham on the English Wikipedia