Coins of the Maldivian rufiyaa facts for kids

The coins of the Maldivian rufiyaa are the money used in the Maldives, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean. People have been using coins in the Maldives since it became a special territory under British protection in 1887. Before coins, people even used special shells called money cowries as currency!

The Maldives became an independent country in 1965. Later, in 1968, it became a republic, which means it was led by a president, not a king or queen. The Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1982. Over the years, the coins have changed a lot, showing different parts of Maldivian history and culture.

Early Coins (1900-1902)

Some of the first recorded coins were made from copper. These coins were called 'laari'. In 1900, a 1 laari coin was made. In 1901, another 1 laari coin was struck. Then, in 1902, they made both 1 laari and 4 laari copper coins. These coins were made during the time of Sultan Shamsudeen III.

Coins from 1913

In 1913, new 1 laari and 4 laari coins were made. These coins were actually made in Birmingham, England, at a place called Heaton's Mint. But interestingly, the coins themselves say in Arabic that they were 'Struck at Malé,' which is the capital city of the Maldives!

Last Coins Before Independence (1960)

The coins made in 1960 were the very last ones issued while the Maldives was still a British protectorate. They were also the only coins made during the rule of Sultan Mohammed Farid Didi (who was in charge from 1954 to 1968). These coins were made at the Royal Mint in London.

These 1960 coins were similar in size to the coins used in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), which were also used in the Maldives. The coins came in different values:

• 1 laari
• 2 laari
• 5 laari
• 10 laari
• 25 laari
• 50 laari

There were two types of the 50 laari coin. One had a special groove on its edge for security, and the other had a ridged edge. All these coins had writing in both Arabic and the local language, Divehi.

Coins of the Republic (1970-1982)

After the Maldives became a republic and was outside the Commonwealth, the first new coins were made in 1970. This was also the first time coins were made using the 'rufiyaa' name, which is the main currency unit today.

At first, the 1970 coins looked a lot like the 1960 ones. But instead of mentioning the Sultan, they now mentioned the Republic. It wasn't until the late 1970s that the English language started appearing on Maldivian coins. Also, around this time, the dates on the coins started matching the regular calendar more closely.

Coins of the Republic (After 1982)

When the Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth in 1982, the first new coin was a 1 rufiyaa coin. This coin had the Coat-of-Arms (the country's official symbol) on one side, along with the dates. The other side said 'REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES 1 RUFIYAA'.

A few years later, in 1984, a whole set of smaller coins was released. These ranged from 1 laari up to 50 laari. Since then, many special 'commemorative' coins have been made to celebrate important events. For example, there were 250 rufiyaa coins that were more like special medals. In 1995, a 2 rufiyaa coin was made to replace the 2 rufiyaa paper money.

Current Coin Designs

Here are some of the coins used in the Maldives today and what they look like:

Images for kids

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  Before coins, Cypraea moneta (money cowrie) shells were used as money.

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  Maldivian coins from the 1600s and 1700s.

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  A copper Larin coin from Sultan Shamsudeen III's time.

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  2 Rufiyaa coin (front)

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  2 Rufiyaa coin (back)

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  1 Rufiyaa coin (front)

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  1 Rufiyaa coin (back)

See also

• Maldivian rufiyaa
• Maldivian laari
• Currency of Maldives