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Bahrain: No.9b Ten dinars
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First issued — Unknown.
Size — 156 mm x 76 mm.
Signature — Sheikh Khalifah bin Sulman al Khalifah.
Watermark — The head of a falcon.
Security thread — Solid.
Printer — Thomas de la Rue and Company.
Variety — Top left serial number is printed vertically in red ink, while the bottom right serial number is printed horizontally in black ink. The fluorescent features are now green.
Illustration — Standard design for the issue, with a wind tower (used for ventilating houses) – Before the days of airconditioners and fans, the architects of the Arabian Gulf had devised the use of wind towers for ventilation. The towers were square, with a triangular shaft being created on each side of the square. The towers could capture a breeze from any direction and direct it into a building. As the cool air was directed into the building, the warm air inside was forced up the opposite side of the wind-tower.
Usually found in houses that belonged to the well-to-do, there are now very few example of original wind-towers to be found anywhere in the Gulf, although they do exist. However, some modern buildings incorporate mock wind towers in an effort to capture the architectural style of the old buildings.
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Illustration — An aerial view of a ship being repaired in a dry dock.