Dinar
Encyclopedia
The dinar is the official currency of several countries.
The history of the dinar dates to the gold dinar
, an early Islamic coin corresponding to the Byzantine denarius auri
. The gold dinar has been revived as a bullion gold coin
called the Islamic gold dinar
.
The word 'dinar' in English is borrowed from the Arabic
dīnār, which in turn was borrowed from Greek
δηνάριον, itself from Latin dēnārius
(q.v.).
The 8th century English king Offa of Mercia
minted copies of Abbasid dinars struck in 774 by Caliph Al-Mansur
with "Offa Rex" centered on the reverse. The moneyer visibly had no understanding of Arabic
as the Arabic text contains many errors. Such coins may have been produced in order to trade with Islamic Spain
.
The history of the dinar dates to the gold dinar
Gold Dinar
The gold dinar is a gold coin first issued in 77 AH by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The name is derived from denarius, a Roman currency...
, an early Islamic coin corresponding to the Byzantine denarius auri
Denarius
In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...
. The gold dinar has been revived as a bullion gold coin
Gold coin
A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold's intrinsic value...
called the Islamic gold dinar
Islamic gold dinar
The modern Islamic gold dinar is a currency that aims to revive the historical gold dinar which was a leading coin of early Islam. They consist of minted gold coins, Dinar, and silver coins, Dirham.-Dinar history:According to Islamic law, the Islamic dinar is a coin of pure gold weighing...
.
Etymology
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
dīnār, which in turn was borrowed from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
δηνάριον, itself from Latin dēnārius
Denarius
In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...
(q.v.).
Legal tender
Countries currently using the dinar or similar
| Countries | Currency | ISO 4217 ISO 4217 ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list... code |
|---|---|---|
 Algeria |
Algerian dinar Algerian dinar The dinar is the currency of Algeria and it is subdivided into 100 santeem .-History:The dinar was introduced on 1 April 1964, replacing the Algerian new franc at par.-Coins:... |
DZD |
 Bahrain |
Bahraini dinar Bahraini dinar The dinar is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils . The name dinar derives from the Roman denarius. The dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated .د.ب or BD... |
BHD |
 Iraq |
Iraqi dinar Iraqi dinar The dinar is the currency of Iraq. It is issued by the Central Bank of Iraq and is subdivided into 1,000 fils , although inflation has rendered the fils obsolete.-History:... |
IQD |
 Jordan |
Jordanian dinar Jordanian dinar The dinar is the currency of Jordan. The dinar is divided into 10 dirham, 100 qirsh or 1000 fils.... |
JOD |
 Kuwait |
Kuwaiti dinar Kuwaiti dinar The dinar is the currency of Kuwait. It is sub-divided into 1000 fils. It is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.-History:... |
KWD |
 Libya |
Libyan dinar Libyan dinar The dinar is the currency of Libya. Its ISO 4217 code is "LYD". The dinar is subdivided into 1000 dirham . It was introduced in 1971 and replaced the pound at par. It is issued by the Central Bank of Libya, which also supervises the banking system and regulates credit... |
LYD |
 Republic of Macedonia |
Macedonian denar Macedonian denar The denar is the currency of the Republic of Macedonia. It is subdivided into 100 deni . The name denar comes from the name of the ancient Roman monetary unit, the denarius... |
MKD |
 Malaysia |
Kelantanese dinar Kelantanese dinar The Kelantanese dinar is a currency issued by the Government of the Malaysian state of Kelantan, which purportedly is in conformance with the concept of the Islamic gold dinar. The Kelantanese dinar is available in the form of coins of several denominations... |
MYD |
 Serbia |
Serbian dinar Serbian dinar The dinar is the currency of Serbia. An earlier currency also called dinar was used in Serbia between 1868 and 1918. The earliest use of the dinar date to 1214. Today's Serbian dinar is a continuation of the last Yugoslav dinar... |
RSD |
 Tunisia |
Tunisian dinar Tunisian dinar The dinar is the currency of Tunisia. It is subdivided into 1000 milim or millimes . The abbreviation DT is often used in Tunisia, although writing "dinar" after the amount is also acceptable ; the abbreviation TD is also mentioned in a few places, but is less frequently used, given the common use... |
TND |
Countries and regions which have previously used the dinar
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
minted copies of Abbasid dinars struck in 774 by Caliph Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
with "Offa Rex" centered on the reverse. The moneyer visibly had no understanding of Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
as the Arabic text contains many errors. Such coins may have been produced in order to trade with Islamic Spain
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
.
- Abu DhabiAbu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
: the Abu Dhabi dinar or Bahraini dinar which were used from 1966 to 1973Bahraini dinarThe dinar is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils . The name dinar derives from the Roman denarius. The dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated .د.ب or BD... - Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
: the Bosnia and Herzegovina dinarBosnia and Herzegovina dinarThe Bosnia and Herzegovina dinar was the independent currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1998, used in those areas under Bosniak control. No subdivisions were issued.-History:... - CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
: the Croatian dinarCroatian dinarThe dinar was the currency of Croatia between December 23, 1991, and May 30, 1994. The ISO 4217 code was HRD.-History:The Croatian dinar replaced the 1990 version of Yugoslav dinar at par. It was a transitional currency introduced following Croatia's declaration of independence. During its... - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
: the Iranian rialIranian rialThe rial is the currency of Iran. It is subdivided into 100 dinar but, because of the very low current value of the rial, no fraction of the rial is used in accounting....
was divided into 100 dinars - Republic of Serbian KrajinaRepublic of Serbian KrajinaThe Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
: the Krajina dinarKrajina dinarThe dinar was the currency in Republic of Serbian Krajina between 1992 and 1994.-History:There were three distinct dinars. The first was introduced in July 1992 in parallel with the new Yugoslav dinar of that year, to which it was equal... - Republika SrpskaRepublika SrpskaRepublika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
: the Republika Srpska dinarRepublika Srpska dinarThe dinar was the currency of the Republika Srpska between 1992 and 1998, during and following the Bosnian War. There were two distinct currencies issued by the National Bank of the Republika Srpska. The first was introduced in 1992 in conjunction with the Yugoslav dinar of that year, to which it... - South Yemen: the South Yemeni dinarSouth Yemeni dinarThe dinar was the currency of South Arabia and then South Yemen between 1965 and 1990. It was subdivided into 1000 fils . After Yemen's monetary unification on 1 July 1990, it was one of the two official currencies used in Yemen Republic until 11 June 1996.-History:The dinar was introduced in 1965...
- SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
: the Sudanese dinarSudanese dinarThe dinar was the currency of Sudan between June 8, 1992 and January 10, 2007. Its ISO 4217 code is "SDD". It is now replaced by the pound.-History:... - YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
: the Yugoslav dinarYugoslav dinarThe dinar was the currency of the three Yugoslav states: the Kingdom of Yugoslavia , the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia between 1918 and 2003. The dinar was subdivided into 100 para...
See also
- Kelantanese dinarKelantanese dinarThe Kelantanese dinar is a currency issued by the Government of the Malaysian state of Kelantan, which purportedly is in conformance with the concept of the Islamic gold dinar. The Kelantanese dinar is available in the form of coins of several denominations...
- Economy of the OIC
- DollarDollarThe dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
- PoundPound (currency)The pound is a unit of currency in some nations. The term originated in England as the value of a pound of silver.The word pound is the English translation of the Latin word libra, which was the unit of account of the Roman Empire...
(currency) - French denierFrench denierThe denier was a Frankish coin created by Charlemagne in the Early Middle Ages. It was introduced together with an accounting system in which twelve deniers equaled one sou and twenty sous equalled one livre...
- Andorran dinerAndorran dinerThe Andorran diner is a commemorative currency issued in form of coins intended for collectors. A diner is divided into 100 cèntims. The name diner is derived from the Roman currency denarius....