Mauritanian ouguiya
Encyclopedia
The ouguiya also spelt "ougiya," is the currency of Mauritania
. It is the only circulating currency other than the Malagasy ariary
whose division units are not based on a power of ten, each ouguiya comprising five khoums
(singular and plural in English, , meaning "one fifth").
The ouguiya was introduced in 1973, replacing the CFA franc
at a rate of 1 ouguiya = 5 francs.
s a khoum was the equivalent of the franc (which had no subdivision). The most recent issues were in 2003 (1 ouguiya) and 2004 (other denominations). Coins are minted at the Kremnica mint
in Slovakia
. The coinage was slightly changed in 2009, with a reduced 1 ouguiya in plated composition and a bi-metallic 20 ouguiya issued. A bi-metallic 50 ougiya was issued December 2010.
in Munich, starting with the second issue. New banknotes were introduced in 2004 to upgrade security features. They include all the earlier denominations plus a new 2000 ouguiya note. A new 5,000 oughia was issued in 2010.
, the nation's capital, most coins are in fine to very fine condition; banknotes of 100 and 200 ouguiya tend to be in poor to fair condition, larger denominations are in fine to extremely fine condition.
The Central Bank is unhelpful in providing new condition coins and banknotes. Some interest in setting up a numismatic program exists, however.
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
. It is the only circulating currency other than the Malagasy ariary
Malagasy ariary
The ariary is the currency of Madagascar. It is subdivided into 5 iraimbilanja and is one of only two non-decimal currencies currently circulating . The names ariary and iraimbilanja derive from the pre-colonial currency, with ariary being the name for a silver dollar...
whose division units are not based on a power of ten, each ouguiya comprising five khoums
Khoums
The khoums is the subdivisory unit of the Mauritanian monetary system, the Ouguiya. Five khoums make an ouguiya, hence one khoums can be expressed as MRO/0.2...
(singular and plural in English, , meaning "one fifth").
The ouguiya was introduced in 1973, replacing the CFA franc
CFA franc
The CFA franc is the name of two currencies used in Africa which are guaranteed by the French treasury. The two CFA franc currencies are the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc...
at a rate of 1 ouguiya = 5 francs.
Coins
In 1973, (1 khoums), 1, 5, 10 and 20 ouguiya coins were introduced. This was the only year that the khoum was minted, as the ouguiya was worth five CFA FrancCFA franc
The CFA franc is the name of two currencies used in Africa which are guaranteed by the French treasury. The two CFA franc currencies are the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc...
s a khoum was the equivalent of the franc (which had no subdivision). The most recent issues were in 2003 (1 ouguiya) and 2004 (other denominations). Coins are minted at the Kremnica mint
Kremnica mint
The Kremnica Mint , is a state-owned mint situated in Kremnica, Slovakia. The Mint of Mincovňa Kremnica, š.p. was established in 1328, and for nearly seven centuries it has continuously been producing mint articles.-History:...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The coinage was slightly changed in 2009, with a reduced 1 ouguiya in plated composition and a bi-metallic 20 ouguiya issued. A bi-metallic 50 ougiya was issued December 2010.
Banknotes
In 1973, notes were issued by the Central Bank in denominations of 100, 200 and 1000 ouguiya. In 1974, a second series of notes was issued in the same denominations, with 500 ouguiya notes added in 1979. Banknotes have been printed by Giesecke & DevrientGiesecke & Devrient
Giesecke & Devrient is a German company headquartered in Munich that provides banknote and securities printing, smart cards, and cash handling systems....
in Munich, starting with the second issue. New banknotes were introduced in 2004 to upgrade security features. They include all the earlier denominations plus a new 2000 ouguiya note. A new 5,000 oughia was issued in 2010.
Numismatic information
Within NouakchottNouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
, the nation's capital, most coins are in fine to very fine condition; banknotes of 100 and 200 ouguiya tend to be in poor to fair condition, larger denominations are in fine to extremely fine condition.
The Central Bank is unhelpful in providing new condition coins and banknotes. Some interest in setting up a numismatic program exists, however.