Kuwait AH 1382/1962 fils
This specimen was part of lot 718 in Sincona Auction 103 (Zürich, May 2026), where it sold for 500 CHF (about US$762 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"KUWAIT Abdullah III. Ibn Salim, 1950-1965. 5 Fils 1382 AH / 1962, London. Dazu: 1 Fils 1358 AH / 1962. Beide Exemplare aus dem PP-Münzsatz. KM 9, 10 (aus PS2). Sehr selten. Nur 60 Exemplare geprägt. (2) (Kuwait, Abdullah III ibn Salim, 1950-65, five fils and one fils of AH 1382/1962, London mint, taken from a proof set. Very rare. Only 60 specimens struck. NGC PF64, two pieces.)"
Kuwait, a sheikhdom on the Persian Gulf, was long under the domination of the Ottoman Turks. As the Turkish grip relaxed in the late nineteenth century, Kuwait fell under the "protection" of Great Britain, which used it as a base until 1961, when British troops evacuated and Kuwait was granted independence. The modern coinage dates from that time, wherein 1000 fils = 1 dinar. This brass one fils was minted 1962-88 and is common. The boat pictured on the obverse is a dhow, the wooden sailing ship common in the Gulf.
Recorded mintage: 500,000 plus 60 proofs.
Specification: 2 g, nickel brass, 17 mm diameter, plain edge.
Catalog reference: KM 9.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Michael Hardmeier, Michael Otto, Arne Kirsch, Ruedi Kunzmann and Timur Demirai, SINCONA Auction 103: World and Swiss coins and medals, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2026.
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