Jordan issued this half dinar of 1980 to mark the dawn of the fifteenth century of the Hijra: the year 1400 of the Islamic calendar, which counts from the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622, fell in 1980.

The reverse unites two of Islam’s holiest sites, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, with the sun in a circle to the right and a sprig to the left. The Arabic legend «القرن الخامس عشر الهجرة النبوية» («the fifteenth century of the Prophet’s Hijra») and the double date «١٤٠٠» and «1980» explain the occasion. The obverse shows King Hussein bin Talal in three-quarter view to the right, with the Arabic «الحسين بن طلال ملك المملكة الاردنية الهاشمية» and the English «THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN».

The seven-sided copper-nickel coin was struck at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant in a total issue of 2,006,000: two million were intended for circulation and 6,000 went into sets. Jordan also marked the anniversary with a silver 10 dinars, and the half dinar became its everyday circulating companion.

The coin fits several collecting themes at once: Islamic subjects and sacred architecture, King Hussein commemoratives, and shaped coins of the world. The VF-AU grade lies between Very Fine and About Uncirculated: wear shows on the raised parts of the design, but the outlines of both mosques, the portrait and the legends remain clear.

For those who collect coins by subject, whether wildlife, architecture, famous people or sport, the VPcoins catalogue offers other themed issues too.