10 Iraqi Dinars Banknote (Ibn Al Haytham)

10 Dinars Iraqi Dinar (Issued 1980-1982)

The early 1980s marked one of the most turbulent chapters in modern Iraqi history, as Saddam Hussein consolidated absolute power following his assumption of the presidency in 1979 and led the country into the devastating Iran-Iraq War, which began in September 1980. It was against this backdrop of military mobilisation and authoritarian state-building that the Central Bank of Iraq issued this 10 Dinar banknote, embedding within its design the imagery of Iraq’s ancient intellectual heritage as a counterpoint to the chaos of conflict. The note belongs to a series that sought to project Iraqi national identity and cultural pride through the iconography of mediaeval Islamic scholarship. These banknotes circulated during one of the most consequential and bloody periods of twentieth-century Middle Eastern history.

On the front, the note is dominated by a finely engraved portrait of Ibn al-Haytham, the eleventh-century Arab mathematician, astronomer, and physicist widely regarded as a pioneer of the scientific method and optics, depicted here in a traditional white turban and dark robes with a full beard, rendered in detailed intaglio engraving on the right-hand side of the note. The primary colour palette of the obverse is a rich violet and purple, interlaced with soft lavender and pale pink tones across the background field, which is filled with intricate guilloché geometric patterning. At the centre-left of the note sits a decorative geometric arabesque panel rendered in warm orange, ochre, and white, reflecting the classical Islamic artistic tradition. The issuing authority’s name, the Central Bank of Iraq rendered in Arabic script, appears prominently across the top of the note, with the denomination of ten dinars stated in large Arabic numerals and script at both upper corners and lower left. The serial number appears in two locations — upper right and lower left — presented in both Arabic-Eastern and Western numerals, with the series reference ٤/٣٨٢ also clearly printed. The date range 1981–1980 appears in both Hijri and Gregorian formats. A legal tender clause in Arabic runs across the lower central section of the note, accompanied by two facsimile signatures of Central Bank officials. Swirling, undulating wave patterns in deeper purple frame the upper and lower borders, giving the composition a sense of formal authority and visual dynamism.

The reverse of the note is printed primarily in tones of violet, purple, and grey-green, and features a central vignette depicting the iconic leaning minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra, known as the Malwiya Tower, one of Iraq’s most recognisable architectural monuments, rising prominently against an open sky with mature trees visible at its base. The scene is reproduced with careful engraving detail, capturing the distinctive spiralling ramp that winds around the exterior of the ancient minaret. The text “Central Bank of Iraq” is printed in clear, bold English lettering across the top of the reverse, while “Ten Dinars” appears in English along the lower portion of the central vignette. A bilingual Arabic inscription also appears beneath the bank’s name. Flanking the central scene on both sides are elaborate circular guilloché rosettes and decorative panels featuring fine-line geometric patterning in the same violet tones. The numeral 10 appears in the lower left within an ornate circular device, and additional numeral references flank the right side of the note. The overall paper shows through with a light watermark visible in the blank oval panel to the right of the central image, consistent with the security paper standards of the period.

Wondering who buys foreign coins and notes? Webuyallcurrency.com does — a 10 Dinars Iraqi Dinar banknote like this is accepted alongside other old or withdrawn Iraqi Dinars banknotes, so you can exchange the lot for cash at once.

• Indicate the quantity of 10 Dinars Iraqi Dinar banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com buys and exchanges foreign currency of every kind, so your Iraqi Dinars banknotes — withdrawn or current — can be sold for cash together with the rest of your leftover coins and notes.

Other Iraqi Dinars you can exchange: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5, 25, 50, 250, 500, 1000, 5000.