1/2 dinar 1973
Market Prices
53 salesAbout This Note
This is a crisp, uncirculated example of Tunisia's 1/2 Dinar note from 1973, featuring a formal portrait of President Habib Bourguiba on the obverse and a rich agricultural scene on the reverse. The note demonstrates excellent print quality with sharp engraving throughout, vibrant multi-colored underprint, and no signs of wear, handling, or damage consistent with its AU grade.
Common. This note appears in multiple eBay transaction records spanning over a decade (2012-2025) with consistent sales volumes, typically trading in the $2–$11 USD range for uncirculated examples, and professionally graded examples (PMG 64–67) reaching $8–$53 depending on grade and market conditions. Print runs were substantial enough to maintain steady availability in the collector market. The 2019 catalogue value of $7.50 for UNC examples aligns with observed market behavior, indicating a standard-issue banknote with no scarcity premium.
Issued on October 15, 1973, by the Banque Centrale de Tunisie during President Habib Bourguiba's tenure, this note reflects Tunisia's post-independence economic period and emphasis on agricultural development. The reverse design's prominent depiction of farming, livestock, citrus fruits, and traditional agricultural labor illustrates the nation's economic priorities and connection to its agrarian heritage during this era of modernization.
The obverse features a formal black and white engraved portrait of President Habib Bourguiba in suit and tie positioned at left-center, with a secondary vignette depicting a camel handler in traditional dress with his animal in the lower left corner, symbolizing Tunisia's pastoral heritage. The reverse showcases an agricultural landscape with a gnarled, ancient-looking tree as the centerpiece, surrounded by abundant produce including oranges, grapes, and other fruits, a working figure in traditional dress engaged in harvest labor, and fish depicted on the right side—collectively representing Tunisia's primary economic sectors of agriculture and fishing. The note employs multicolored underprinting in greens, blues, pinks, tans, and whites across both sides, with ornamental geometric and floral patterns in the corners and decorative denomination numerals.
Front side (Arabic): 'البنك المركزي التونسي' (Central Bank of Tunisia), 'نصف دينار' (Half Dinar), '1973-10-15' (October 15, 1973), Serial number visible as '501077', Series/batch indicator '6'. Back side (French): 'BANQUE CENTRALE DE TUNISIE' (Central Bank of Tunisia), 'UN DEMI DINAR' (One Half Dinar), '1/2' (One half denomination marker).
Intaglio engraving (line engraving) with multicolor offset printing for the background underprint. The fine line work, intricate geometric patterns, and complex security design elements visible throughout are characteristic of high-security banknote production. Printer: TDLR (Tunisian Dinar security printer), as catalogued by PMG for the P-69 series.
This specimen represents the standard P-69 variety (base Pick number) issued by TDLR. PMG records indicate three catalogued variants exist for this base number: P-69 (regular), P-69* (replacement/star note), and P-69s (specimen), though the present note does not display star or specimen markings. Serial number '501077' with series indicator '6' suggests this is from a standard production batch; the specific serial range and series number may indicate a particular printing run, but without comprehensive serial data, the exact production batch cannot be definitively established from the visible inscription alone.
