500 fils 1965

Common. The South Arabian Currency Authority notes, while historically interesting and from a short-lived issuing authority (1964-1967), were produced in substantial quantities for circulation. eBay market data shows regular sales of this denomination in various grades, with VF examples consistently selling between $7-$35 and even UNC examples ranging from $125-$177 historically. The PMG 66 EPQ grade is desirable but not exceptionally scarce. Current catalog values list UNC at $300 and VF at $75, suggesting steady but not exceptional demand.

Issued by the South Arabian Currency Authority during a transitional period in Arabian Peninsula history, this note reflects the region's maritime heritage through its prominent dhow imagery and agricultural importance via the symbolic date palm. The 250 fils denomination and bilingual English-Arabic inscriptions demonstrate the cosmopolitan nature of South Arabia's colonial-era financial systems, while the note's production by Thomas de la Rue & Company Limited indicates the involvement of Britain's premier security printer in the region's currency infrastructure.

The obverse depicts a traditional Arabian dhow with full sail traversing coastal waters, with a mountainous landscape and fortified coastal city visible in the background—likely representing an important trading port of South Arabia. The reverse features a detailed date palm tree as the central motif, a symbol of the region's agricultural heritage and oasis culture. Both sides are framed by ornate decorative scrollwork borders in the corners, typical of De la Rue's classical banknote design aesthetic. Watermark areas are indicated by large circular designs positioned on the left (obverse) and right (reverse) sides of the note.

FRONT: 'SOUTH ARABIAN CURRENCY AUTHORITY' (English) / 'مقصورة النقد الجنوب العربية' (Arabic: South Arabian Currency Authority) / 'THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FILS' (English) / 'ماثقتان وخمسون فلس' (Arabic: Two hundred and fifty fils) / Serial number: J949414 / 'SECRETARY' / 'THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED' (printer attribution). BACK: Denomination numerals '250' appearing in upper left and lower right corners.

Intaglio (line engraving) printing throughout, as evidenced by the fine line engraving visible in the decorative borders, background patterns, and detailed rendering of both the dhow vessel and date palm tree. The note was produced by Thomas de la Rue & Company Limited, London, one of the world's leading security printers, who employed their signature multi-color intaglio techniques to create the brown, pink, green, and tan color palette observed in this example.

This specific example carries serial number J949414, indicating it belongs to the standard J-series printing. The catalog designation Pick 2b identifies this as a variant within the 1965 issue series. No major varieties (such as overprints, signature variants, or denomination overprints) are evident from the visual analysis. The consistent bilingual presentation and De la Rue printer attribution are standard for this Pick number.