The dinar (Arabic: دينار) (Arabic: مؤسسة النقد للجنوب العربي; sign: £) was the currency of South Arabia and then South Yemen between 1965 and 1990. It was subdivided into 1000 fils (فلس). After Yemen's monetary unification on 1 July 1990, it was one of the two official currencies used in Yemen Republic until 11 June 1996.

Quick Facts دينار اليمن الجنوبي, ISO 4217 ...

South Yemeni dinar

دينار اليمن الجنوبي
ISO 4217
Code	YDD
Unit
Symbol	£‎
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄1000	fils
Banknotes	500 fils, £1, £5, £10
Coins	2+1⁄2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 250 fils
Demographics
User(s)	South Arabia  South Yemen  Yemen
Issuance
Central bank	Bank of Yemen
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

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The dinar was introduced in 1965 as the South Arabian dinar, replacing the East African shilling at a rate of 1 dinar = 20 shillings, thus setting the dinar initially equal to one pound sterling, it also used the pound sign as its Latin script symbol. It was renamed the South Yemeni dinar after the Federation of South Arabia and the Protectorate of South Arabia united in 1967 as independent South Yemen. The South Yemeni dinar was replaced with the Yemeni rial following unification with North Yemen in 1990. Dinar banknotes remained legal tender during a transitional period until 1996. The exchange rate during that period was £1 = 26 YER.

For a wider history surrounding currency in the region, see British currency in the Middle East.

In 1965, coins (dated 1964) were introduced for both the Federation of South Arabia and the Protectorate of South Arabia in denominations of 1, 5, 25 and 50 fils. The 1 fils was struck in aluminium, the 5 fils in bronze and the higher two denominations in cupro-nickel.

In 1971, coins were issued in the name of "Democratic Yemen", changing to the "People's Democratic Republic of Yemen" in 1973. That year, aluminium 2+1⁄2 fils were introduced, followed by aluminium 10 fils and cupro-nickel 100 and 250 fils in 1981. The 10 fils was scalloped shaped whilst the 100 fils was octagonal.

On 1 April 1965, the South Arabian Currency Authority introduced notes in denominations of 250 fils, 500 fils, 1 dinar, and 5 dinars. A 10 dinar note was issued on 1 July 1967.^[1]

In 1984, the Bank of Yemen introduced 500 fils as well as 1 dinar, 5 dinar, and 10 dinar notes that are like the preceding issues of South Arabia, except the English text and printer's imprint have been removed from the front, the name of the issuer has changed and now appears on the back, along with the name of the capital (ADEN).^[2]