- "Omani 2 baiza coin" redirects here. For the coin issued in 1970, see Omani 2 baisa coin.
| 2 baisa | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Country |
|
| Value |
0.01 rial |
| Years |
1946 (AH1365) |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
2.9 g |
| Diameter |
19.5 mm |
| Thickness |
1.25 mm |
| Composition | |
| Appearance | |
| Shape |
quadrilateral (4-sided) |
| Alignment |
medallic |
| Edge |
plain |
| Obverse | |
| Reverse |
Monarch title, year |
| v · d · e | |
The 2 baisa coin (also spelled 2 baiza) is a circulation piece of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, a former Middle Eastern country once located in present-day Oman. It was struck in a single type with frozen 1946 dates from 1946 to 1955, during the earlier reign of Sultan Said bin Taimur (1910–1972; r. 1932–1970). The coin was distributed by the Government of Muscat and Oman and struck under commission at the Mumbai Mint in India.
Prior to its eventual demonetization, the 2 baisa piece was legal tender in its country of origin. During this period, it circulated for a nominal value of 0.01 rial.
The piece is composed of a cupronickel alloy and measures 2.9 grams in mass, 19.5 millimeters in diameter, and 1.25 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and unlike most coins, is quadrilateral in shape. Both of its rims are raised and undecorated.
The national emblem of Muscat and Oman – which consists of a sheathed khanjar superimposed upon two crossed swords – is illustrated in the center of the coin's obverse. It is flanked on both sides by the numeral "٢" (2), and displayed above the Arabic word "بيزتان" (Romanized: baizatāni), which translates as "baiza" or "baisa".
The name of the reigning sultan appears in the middle of the reverse, rendered in Arabic as "سعيد بن تيمور" (Romanized: Said bin Taimur). Printed counterclockwise along the rim above is the Arabic legend "سلطان مسقط وعمان" (Romanized: Sulṭān Masqaṭ wa-Umān), which translates to English as "Sultan of Muscat and Oman". Engraved horizontally below the sultan's name is the Islamic date of minting, "١٣٦٥" (1365), which corresponds to the start of the Gregorian year 1946.
Around 1,500,000 business strikes of the coin were manufactured in 1946. A small number of proofs were also minted and distributed in official proof sets by the Government of Muscat and Oman.
According to the Weltmünzkatalog, a mule with the obverse of the 1940 20 baisa piece and the reverse of the 2 baisa coin is known to exist.
References[]
- Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – Muscat & Oman - 2 Baisa, KM# 25 (1365)
- Colnect – 2 Baisa (1946)
- Numista – 2 Baiza (1946) (English) (French)
- Schön, Günter and Gerhard, Weltmünzkatalog 20. Jahrhundert, 44. Auflage, 2016, Battenberg Gietl Verlag, ISBN 9783866461192
Omani rial on the English Wikipedia
Template:Omani rial