The dinar (/dɪˈnɑːr/, /ˈdiːnɑː(r)/) is the name of the principal currency unit in several countries near the Mediterranean Sea, with a more widespread historical use. The English word "dinar" is the transliteration of the Arabic دينار (dīnār), which was borrowed via the Syriac dīnarā from the Latin dēnārius.[1][2]
The modern gold dinar is a projected bullion gold coin, and as of 2019[update] is not issued as an official currency by any state.
History
The modern dinar's historical antecedents are the Eastern Roman silver denarius (greek δηνάριο - "dinario"), and gold dinar and the silver dirham, the main coin of the medieval Islamic empires, first issued in AH 77 (696–697 AD) (Late Antiquity) by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The word "dinar" derives from the Latin word "dēnārius," a silver coin of ancient Rome, which was first minted about c. 211 BC.
The Kushan Empire introduced a gold coin known as the dīnāra in India in the 1st century AD; the Gupta Empire and its successors up to the 6th century adopted the coin.[3][4]
The 8th-century English king Offa of Mercia minted imitations of Abbasid dinars struck in 774 by Caliph al-Mansur with "Offa Rex" centred on the reverse.[5][6] The moneyer likely had no understanding of Arabic as the Arabic text contains many errors. Such coins may have been produced for trade with Islamic Spain. These coins are called a Mancus, which is also derived from the Arabic language.[7]
Legal tender
Countries with current usage
Countries currently using a currency called "dinar" or similar:
| Countries | Currency | ISO 4217 code |
|---|---|---|
 Algeria |
Algerian dinar | DZD |
 Bahrain |
Bahraini dinar | BHD |
 Iraq |
Iraqi dinar | IQD |
 Jordan |
Jordanian dinar | JOD |
 Kuwait |
Kuwaiti dinar | KWD |
 Libya |
Libyan dinar | LYD |
 North Macedonia |
Macedonian denar | MKD MKN (1992−1993) |
 Serbia |
Serbian dinar | RSD CSD (2003–2006) |
 Tunisia |
Tunisian dinar | TND |
As a subunit
- 1⁄100 of the Iranian rial
Countries with former usage
Countries and regions which have previously used a currency called "dinar" in the 20th century:
| Countries | Currency | ISO 4217 code | Used | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Abu Dhabi | Bahraini dinar | BHD | 1966–1973 | United Arab Emirates Dirham |
 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina dinar | BAD | 1992–1998 | Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark |
 Cornwall | Cornish Dynar | 900 – 1960: | GBP | |
 Croatia | Croatian dinar | HRD | 1991–1994 | Croatian kuna |
 Iran | Iranian rial was divided into at first 1250 and then 100 dinars | |||
 South Yemen | Yemeni dinar | YDD | 1965–1990 | Yemeni rial |
 Yemen |
1990–1996 | |||
 Sudan | Sudanese dinar | SDD | 1992–2007 | Sudanese pound |
 Kingdom of Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslavia FR Yugoslavia |
Yugoslav dinar | YUF (1945–1965) YUD (1965–1989) YUN (1990–1992) YUR (1992–1993) YUO (1993) YUG (1994) YUM (1994–2003) | 1918–2003 | Serbian dinar |
See also
References
- ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition, 1989, s.v. "dinar"; online version November 2010
- ↑ Versteegh, C. H. M.; Versteegh, Kees (2001). The Arabic Language. Edinburgh University Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-7486-1436-3.
- ↑ Friedberg, Arthur L.; Friedberg, Ira S. (2009). Gold Coins of the World: From Ancient Times to the Present. Coin & Currency Institute. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-87184-308-1.
- ↑ Mookerji, Radhakumud (2007). The Gupta Empire. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-81-208-0440-1.
- ↑ "Coin | British Museum".
- ↑ Medieval European Coinage Archived 2023-08-12 at the Wayback Machine by Philip Grierson, p. 330.
- ↑ "THE GOLD "MANCUS" - jstor". JSTOR 42680243.
External links
- Krause, Chester L.; Clifford Mishler (2003). 2004 Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1901–Present. Colin R. Bruce II (senior editor) (31st ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0873495934.
- Malaysia: Kelantan collects Zakat in Shariah money
