Oman

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The Sultanate of Oman is an Arab state in southwest Asia, on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. As you see from the map below, Oman is divided into two parts: it has an exclave to the north of the United Arab Emirates, known as the Musandam Governate.

Additionally, Oman also has a small exclave called Madha, which is actually an enclave within the United Arab Emirates. It can be seen in green at the bottom right of the third map below.

Amazingly, the Omani exclave of Madha contains within its own territory an enclave of the United Arab Emirates, called Nawha. It can be seen next to Aturrah on the second map below. Why does this situation make me think of those nested Russian dolls? 

And that's not all. If you look at this map of the United Arab Emirates above, the small piece of territory marked '8' is part of the Emirate of Ajman, but it is actually under the joint control of Oman and Ajman.

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The Omani flag. The national emblem, the badge of the Albusaidi Dynasty, appears in the canton. This depicts crossed swords over a khanjar, a traditional curved dagger. This emblem is featured on the obverse of all Oman's coins.

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Though the design of most Omani coins is rather plain, it has issued some attractive designs in its time. Above is a 5 baiza coin of Muscat and Oman, dated 1962. It depicts a traditional Arab dhow. These days Muscat is the capital of Oman, so if anybody can explain the difference between the state of Oman and the historical state of Muscat and Oman in two or three sentences, I'd be interested to read it.

 

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This attractive silver Saidi rial of Muscat and Oman was issued in 1958. I presume it was a collector piece.

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The reverse of a 10 baiza coin of 1975. It was issued as part of the FAO programme and features palm trees and fish. The inscription reads: "Work on the development of food resources  The Sultanate of Oman".

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Here is another FAO issue, a half rial dated 1978. It depicted a lemon. At the time, heptagonal coins were still a novelty, and this one was minted by the inventor of the "equilateral curve heptagon" (to give the shape of the coins its official technical name), the Royal Mint (UK).

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This Omani 100 baiza coin of 1984 also look heptagonal, but in fact it is round, and only the inner rim is heptagonal.

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In 1991 Oman celebrated the Year of Industry with this attractive ½ rial design.

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This 10 baisa of 1995 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Food and Agricultural Organisation.





This 50 baisa coin of 1995 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

 

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Oman, 100 baiza, 1991, commemorating 100 years of Omani coinage.

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Oman, ¼ anna, 1894.  Fort of Muscat.





Oman, 1/12 anna, 1894.  Fort of Muscat.



The modern coin seems to be celebrating the designs on these old coins. To my knowledge, however, the old designs are dated 1311, which equates to 1894 CE and not 1891 CE, as would have been expected.

 

[<k>]

Oman has issued some interesting coins, then, which you may have overlooked, simply because it is not a well known country.

[Figleaf]

The modern coin seems to be celebrating the designs on these old coins. To my knowledge, however, they are dated 1894 and not 1891, as would have been expected.

The old coins are dated 1311 and the new commemorative are dated 1411. The AH dates are converted to AD dates. A century AD is not a century AH, because Oman uses moon years and you use sun years.

Muscat and Oman is not the same as Oman (capital Muscat), because the territories were reshuffled. Muscat and Oman lost part of its territory to the United Arab Emirates. More information here.

Peter

[<k>]

Muscat and Oman is not the same as Oman (capital Muscat), because the territories were reshuffled. Muscat and Oman lost part of its territory to the United Arab Emirates. More information here.

Peter

Complex.  I found this rough map on the internet, with the comments: 

Until 1970 Oman was divided into 'Sultanate of Muscat' and 'Imamate of Oman'. The sultan was nominal ruler of the imamate. From 1913 until 1959 there was de facto a split of these two political entities.

[Afrasi]

Regarding to "Smluvní Oman" for "Trucial Oman" it is obviously a map from Slovakia or Czechia. Perhaps it is made by Vladimir Suchy, the great connaisseur of Yemenite coinage.