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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ewomack, post: 8113159, member: 15588&quot;]Anyone who argues that paper money has become irrelevant likely hasn&#039;t heard the tale of the 2020 Saudi Arabia G20 Commemorative banknote. In preparation for hosting the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G20" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G20" rel="nofollow">G20</a> conference in 2020, Saudi Arabia issued a commemorative note designed around the forum&#039;s logo. The obverse, following the basic design structures of the Saudi sixth series banknotes, concerned nobody. But the reverse, showing a world map highlighting the G20 nations, ignited furious tensions. For reasons apparently unknown, the map depicted the regions of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh as independent from India. Controversy over the political authority of these regions has long raged between India and Pakistan. Interpreting it as a sign of solidarity, some Kashmiris expressed gratitude for the note, but it enraged India and led to a diplomatic clash, culminating in India&#039;s threat to pull Prime Minister Narenda Modi out of the G20. After some negotiations, Saudi Arabia agreed to pull the note from circulation, though the Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority&#039;s website still features it as a &quot;Special Issue.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>Obverse:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1411662[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Portrait of King Salman, or King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to right - Watermark of portrait to middle left</p><p><b>Top left:</b> Serial number, which also appears on top right extending down</p><p><b>Top middle:</b> مؤسسة النقد العربي السعودي - &quot;Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority&quot;</p><p><b>Just beneath top middle:</b> law of monetary authority dated &quot;١٣٧٩/٧/١&quot; Hegira</p><p><b>Bottom middle (large type):</b> عشرون ريالا - Twenty Rials</p><p><b>Left and right of bottom middle (small type):</b> Names of the Minister of Finance - وزير المالية - and the Governor - المحافظ</p><p><b>Monetary unit:</b> ٢٠ or twenty, which appears in lower extreme left and right corners</p><p><b>Left, 3/4 to the bottom:</b> Date in Hegira: ١٤٤٢ (1442) or 2020</p><p><br /></p><p>Reverse:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1411663[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>World map displaying G20 countries in dark brownish black.</p><p><br /></p><p>Detail of reverse map depicting Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh as independent from India:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1411694[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>As of this writing, 20 Saudi Riyals equals $5.33 US.</p><p><br /></p><p>Despite press announcements of the note&#039;s withdrawal, it seems readily available on the secondary market. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority has also issued its first polymer bill as of the sixth series, beginning with a reissue of the 5 Riyal note.</p><p><br /></p><p>Banknotes rarely appear in international news, but this story demonstrates that currency can still cause controversy.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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