Coinage of the Maldives since 1984

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Aerial view of parts of the Maldives.

From Wikipedia:

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is a South Asian island country, located in the Indian Ocean, situated in the Arabian Sea. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to the Addu City in the south. Comprising a territory spanning roughly 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi), the Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed countries, as well as the smallest Asian country by both land area and population, with around 427,756 inhabitants. Malé is the capital and most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island" for its central location.

The Maldivian archipelago took to Islam in the 12th century and consolidated as a sultanate, developing strong commercial and cultural ties with Asia and Africa. From the mid 16th-century, the region came under the increasing influence of European colonial powers, with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in 1887. Independence from the United Kingdom was achieved in 1965 and a presidential republic was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The Maldives was a Commonwealth republic from July 1982 until its withdrawal from the Commonwealth in October 2016 in protest of international criticism of its records in relation to corruption and human rights.

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The Maldives' location in the Indian Ocean.

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Map of the Maldives.

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Flag of the Maldives.

The flag of the Republic of Maldives is green with a red border. The centre bears a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag. It was adopted on 25 July 1965.

The red rectangle represents the boldness of the nation's heroes, and their willingness to sacrifice their every drop of blood in defence of their country. The green rectangle in the centre symbolises peace and prosperity. The white crescent moon symbolises the national religion.

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The Maldivian national emblem.

From Wikipedia:

The Maldivian National Emblem consists of a coconut palm, a crescent, and two criss-crossing National Flags with the traditional Title of the State.

The depicted coconut palm represents the livelihood of the Nation according to Maldivian folklore and tradition. The inhabitants believe it to be the most beneficial tree to them as they utilize every part of the tree on various applications ranging from medicine to boat-building. The crescent and star represent the state religion.

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1 rufiyaa coin dated 1982.

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) is the central bank of the republic of Maldives. It was established on 1st July 1981. The MMA introduced the first 1 rufiyaa coin on 22 January 1983, though it was dated 1982. The coin was made from copper-nickel plated steel and was minted in West Germany.

This coin was the first indication of the new design series that would be issued in 1984. The obverse showed the country name and the denomination. The name rufiyaa is related to the Indian word 'rupee'. At the bottom of the obverse is a seaman's knot, probably a square knot (reef knot). In the Maldives, fishing and coastal transport are an important part of the economy.

The reverse of the coin showed the year and the national emblem.

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The new design series of 1984 was produced at the Royal Mint, UK.

Many years ago I asked the MMA who was responsible for the beautiful designs.

Below is the text of the email reply I received.

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your e-mail dated March 31, 2002.

The designs /Motifs were selected by the Maldives Monetary Authority
Board. The sketches were done by 2 Maldivian Artists, (Mr. Maizan Hassan
Manik and Mr. Ahmed Abbas)and based on these sketches final artwork was
done by The Royal Mint, United Kingdom for the 50,25,10,5 and 1 Laari
coins.

Best Regards
Ms. Khadeeja Hassan
Executive Director
Maldives Monetary Authority

The Royal Mint informed me that their artist Robert Elderton modelled the coins.

My guess is that he was also the person who produced the final artwork before modelling it.

He was and is such a talented artist and sculptor.

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Obverse of the 1 laari coin.

The rufiyaa is divided into 100 laari.

The 1 laari coin was made of aluminium and had a diameter of 15 mm.

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Reverse of the 1 laari coin.

The design features a palm tree.

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Obverse of the 5 laari coin.

The 5 laari coin was made of aluminium and had a diameter of 20.5 mm.

It was scalloped (with 8 notches).

The coin was minted in this scalloped form up to and including the year 1990.

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Reverse of the 5 laari coin.

The design features two tuna fish.

Tuna fishing is important to the economy.

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Obverse of the 10 laari coin.

The 10 laari coin was made of aluminium and had a diameter of 23 mm. 

It was scalloped (with 12 notches).

The coin was minted in this scalloped form up to and including the year 2007.

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Reverse of the 10 laari coin.

The reverse featured a superb design of a traditional Maldivian sailing boat.

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Obverse of the 25 laari coin.

The 25 laari coin was made of nickel-brass and had a diameter of 20.2 mm.

The coin was minted in this metal up to and including the year 1996.

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Reverse of the 25 laari coin.

The reverse depicted the minaret of Malé Friday Mosque.