1 riyal 1968

Common. eBay market data shows this note trading regularly across multiple condition grades, with UNC examples selling in the $50-51 range and lower grades (F, VF, EF) consistently bringing $3-12. The note was issued during a standard circulation period (1968-onwards) by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency without any indication of limited print runs or recall. The consistent supply in the secondary market across nearly a decade of sales data confirms widespread availability.

Issued during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz (1964-1975), this 1968 note reflects Saudi Arabia's modernization period and the establishment of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency as the country's central banking authority. The architectural imagery on the obverse represents government institutional buildings of the era, while the reverse prominently features the Saudi national emblem—the crossed swords symbolizing strength and the palm tree representing prosperity—reflecting the nation's identity and values during this formative period of petroleum-driven economic development.

The obverse features a multi-story Islamic-style government building with characteristic arched entrances, columns, and symmetrical facade with regularly-spaced windows, positioned at center-right. The building demonstrates classical Arabic architectural elements prominent in mid-20th century Saudi institutional design. A large scalloped oval cartouche on the left side contains the watermark area. The reverse displays the Saudi Arabian national emblem—crossed swords surmounted by a palm tree—centered between decorative columns, flanked by intricate Islamic geometric lattice patterns and arabesques. Both sides are framed by ornamental border designs with geometric scrollwork in the corners. The color scheme of purple/violet with cream and gray tones creates a dignified, formal appearance appropriate to a nation's currency.

OBVERSE: Arabic text at top reads 'مؤسسة النقد العربي السعودي' (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency) and 'وزارة المالية' (Ministry of Finance). Denomination marked as 'ريال واحد' (One Riyal) in multiple locations. REVERSE: English text identifies 'SAUDI ARABIAN MONETARY AGENCY' at top and 'ONE RIYAL' as the denomination, with corner markers displaying '1'. Both sides employ bilingual (Arabic/English) inscriptions reflecting the international nature of Saudi commerce.

Intaglio/engraved printing, evidenced by the fine line detail work visible in the border designs, geometric patterns, arabesques, and architectural rendering. The precise registration of multicolor printing (purple on multicolor underprint) and the depth of detail in the ornamental elements indicate high-quality security printing typical of banknote production by specialized security printers during this era. The watermark placement and embedded security thread represent the security features integrated during the engraving and printing process.

This is cataloged as Pick 11b, representing the 1968 issue (AH 1379) of the 1 Riyal denomination. The 'b' designation distinguishes it from the earlier Pick 11a (1961 issue). The primary identifying feature is the AH 1379 date marking. Serial number variations and signature varieties exist on this issue but require examination of individual notes to determine specific variety classification. No significant overprints or exceptional varieties are evident in this specimen.