The Dinar (in Arabic: دينار) is Bahrain's legal tender. It is divided into 1,000 fils and its ISO 4217 code is BHD. The word "dinar" derives from the Latin term "denarius". In 1965 the dinar was introduced for the first time to replace the Gulf rupee, with an exchange rate of 10 rupees for dinar.
In 1965 the first coins were minted in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 fils. In 1992 a new series of coins was minted, removing the 1 fils denomination and adding the 500 fils denomination. There are also two versions of this series, one prior to 2001 in which the official name of the country is 'State of Bahrain', and another later in which the official name is 'Kingdom of Bahrain'.
Bahraini Dinar banknotes and coins in use
Currently, ½, 1, 5, 10, 20 dinar bills are in circulation.
As for coins, there are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 fils.
Did you know?
- Shopping in Bahrain is a habit that families and friends do almost every day. The wealth of the local population has reached such an extreme that consumerism has been boosted to limits unsuspected in other countries.
- The week in Bahrain begins on Sundays, so for its citizens Monday is not as bad a day as it is in almost the rest of the planet.
Why changing currency with us is better than with your bank?
 Global Exchange | Your high-street bank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety of currencies | We have more than 17 currencies. We are specialists. | Only major currencies. Travel money is just a secondary business for banks. | ||
| Availability of currencies | Immediate availability of currencies in our branches. | If they can actually get your exotic currency, prepare for a couple of visits to your bank before you can have the money on your hands. | ||
| Expenses | We only charge the exchange rate, without commissions. | The bank sets its own margin plus a commission. | ||
| Different denominations available | At Global Exchange, you’ll get a variety of banknotes with different values, adapted to all your payment needs. | No. Prepare for refusals and complaints in foreign languages when paying with «big» banknotes. | ||
| Delivery options | Airport collect on the day of your trip. All comfort. | You’ll have to go first to your bank to order the currency you need, then wait for it to come and go back again to collect it. |