Denominations shown in different scripts

[Budapest]

Other Arabic states of the region use Arabic script almost exclusively; Saudi Arabia duplicates only the numbers since 1972 [100 Halala, 1400/1979]. Kuwait and United Arab Emirates gives in English the name of the state only [100 Fils, 1962 and 50 Fils, 1982], which was also usual in Quatar [50 Dirhams, 1966] and Bahrain [100 Fils, 1965] while later denomination was also translated to English [50 Dirhams, 2006 and 500 Fils, 2002].

[Budapest]

   The Arabic part of Africa followed similar traditions. Denominations in different scripts were introduced by the French administration in Tunisia in 1891 with the Franc system. Originally Arabic was on one side and French on the other [2 Francs, 1912]; later both were applied on the same side [2 Francs, 1941]. French and Arabic is used in Morocco between the two World Wars [1 Franc and 50 Centimes, 1921]. In Libya only after liberation was a local coinage introduced, first with Arabic and English denominations [5 Millimes, 1952 and 100 Millimes, 1960], later Latin script was omitted. The coins of Mauretania’s special Ouguiya system are struck with Arabic text on one side and French on the other since 1973 [50 Ouguiya, 2010]. Egypt, which was already referred in this blog, started to translate its denominations in 1916 and gave it up in 1920 [10 Piastres, 1920]. After a long break, Latin script returned in 1993 [25 Piastres, 1993] and is regular in the last set [1 Pound, 2007]. Sudan started to use double system in 2006 [1 Pound, 2011].

[Budapest]

   English influence was decisive in West Africa, too. The common currency of British West Africa used Arabic on 1 Penny and below [1 Penny, 1942]; this was taken over in Nigeria’s first coin set [1 Penny, 1959],but later Arabic disappears. Only the Gambia, another successor state, used both scripts in larger denomination in the pre-decimal [4 Shillings, 1966] and for all denominations in decimal coinage [10 Bututs, 1998].
   On the eastern costs of Africa, the Comoros, issuing coins first only with Arabic, later only with Latin scripts, nowadays uses both on its coins [100 Francs, 2003]. Traditionally, two (or more) scripts were used in colonial coinage of the region. In Mombasa the British coins used Arabic and Latin, on two or on the same sides [1/2 Rupee, 1890]. The German East African Company issued its Pesa with two scripts on two sides [1 Pesa, 1890], later inscriptions were all German.

[Budapest]

The Italians minted Rupee in Italian Somalia with two denominations [1 Rupee, 1910], which was followed by Somalia later with different currency names [1 Scellino/Shilling, 1967 and 1 Shilin, 1976]. Another Italian Colony, Eritrea added a third script, Ge’ez [2 Lire, 1896]. Ethiopia, on the other hand, used exclusively Ge’ez until recently when on the new 1 Birr value was written with Latin script, too [1 Birr, 2010].

[Budapest]

   Other special scripts are rarely used together with Latin or other alphabets. English rule between the two World Wars stands behind the first modern coins with Hebrew script, used together with Latin and Arabic [100 Mils, 1942]. The first Israeli coin, a 25 Mils from 1949, used Hebrew and Arabic [25 Mils, 5709/1949]. For a long period, Arabic disappeared (only in the name of the country remained), while English returned in 1982 with 5 Sheqalim and above [100 Sheqalim, 5744/1984] and Arabic with the New Sheqel [5 New Sheqalim, 5768/2008].
   Also English presence was the reason of the inscription Britannia on coins from 19th-century Ionian Islands; on the other side the name of the islands was given in Greek [2 Lepta, 1819]; denomination was totally missing. In Cyprus, modern coins avoided denomination name too, only a number was given and the name of the country in Greek and Turkish, naturally with different scripts [100 Mils, 1977]; later the country’s English name was added [20 Cents, 1983]. Presently, Cyprus uses Euro which gives the name of the country in two scripts on the national side; Greece utilizing this side for the denomination in its local script.

[Budapest]

   Cyrillic alphabet was used together with Latin in Yugoslavia. While the two scripts were used alternating in different denominations, it was doubled after 1965 [1 Dinar, 1968], which was practiced as long as the country existed [5 Dinars, 1991]. Since 2003 Serbia issues its coins in similar system [20 Dinara, 2003]. Bosnia and Herzegovina used the same system, too, although only lower denominations are written in both scripts [50 Feninga, 1998]. Finally, among the successor states of the Soviet Union, Georgia can be mentioned as using its special own script but for the country name only, and value is given in Georgian; therefore it might go to another topic.

[Budapest]

   Finally, some relevant points may be summarized. Colonial coinage is one of the major forces behind the parallel usage of Latin (for English, French, German or other texts) and other scripts. Most of the examples use Latin script together with something else; only exceptions are China (Sinkiang), Indian princely states, and a special 1943 issue in Indo-China. Usage of three scripts is quite rare and almost exclusively colonial (North Borneo, Straits Settlements, Netherlands East Indies, British India, Italian Eritrea and Palestine), only modern Israel is an exception (and Singapore with the country name). Finally, globalization inspires recent introduction of double denomination in countries where local script was exclusive for a long period.

[Pabitra]

Bangladesh itself used its local script and introduced English denomination quite late, after 1994 [5 Taka, 2012].

Bangladesh uses Bangla script which was also used in some coins of British India ( since major portion of British India was Bengal Presidency) and this script was also used on coins of Pakistan, as third script, between 1948 to 1971.