Central Bank of Oman issues new 50 rial bank note

Muscat: The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has issued a new 50 rial bank note to mark the 50th anniversary of Oman’s ‘Renaissance’ and in commemoration of the memory of its founder, the late Sultan Qaboos.

The RO 50 banknote is sixth in the series, and will begin circulating as legal tender this month. CBO, in cooperation with local banks, is currently configuring ATM and CDM machines to be compatible with the new banknotes. The CBO website also announced that it will issue new banknotes of all other denominations currently in circulation as a legal tender in the last quarter of 2020.

The design of the new bank note, among others, features a golden security patch window on the right side depicting the main entrance of the Central Bank of Oman building, with the name CBO mentioned in both Arabic and English. Among the other new security features are a blue-inked window revealed under any light source, a shiny, multicolored security patch on the left side in the form of the numeral 50, depicting moving elements of colour shifting gradually from green to gold when the banknote is tilted, three watermarks on the left side of the banknote, which include a portrait of Sultan Qaboos, and the numeral 50 printed in Arabic twice; both revealed under any light source.

An ornamental pattern in seven repetition with intaglio printing on the left and right sides aids the blind and the visually impaired to recognise the value of the denomination upon touching the banknote. The coloured Khanjar on the back of the note completes the image of the white Khanjar on the front side of the note when viewed against the light.