Algeria 200 Dinars 2022 UNC—60th Independence Anniversary—Bimetallic

Struck in 2022 to mark sixty years of Algerian independence, this bimetallic 200-dinar coin packs three calendars, a stylized "60," the national flag, and the symbols of every branch of the armed forces onto a coin the size of a euro — a dense, confident statement from a country that fought one of the bloodiest decolonization wars of the 20th century and has never stopped commemorating it.

Obverse

• Colors: gold-toned aluminum bronze center; silver-toned stainless steel outer ring
• Large numeral 200 on a fine crosshatch/grid background filling the center
• Lettering (Arabic): بنك الجزائر (Bank of Algeria) above; دينار (Dinars) below
• Two stars flanking the denomination on the outer ring

Reverse

• Colors: unified gold and silver toning; gold-toned center with silver ring of stars
• Large stylized 60 dominating the center, incorporating the Algerian flag (crescent and star) and stylized soldier figures
• Symbols of the Algerian army corps at left (infantry, artillery, armor)
• Triple-calendar date inscription: 1443 (Islamic/Hijri) – 2972 (Amazigh/Berber) – 2022–1962 (Gregorian)
• Lettering (Arabic): عيد الاستقلال (Independence Day) at top of outer ring
• Ring of stars around the outer edge
• جويلية 5 (5 July — Algeria's Independence Day) inscribed at center bottom

Other Characteristics

• Varieties: single issue — 1443 (2022) — this coin
• Catalog numbers: Numista N#332952
• Composition: Bimetallic — aluminium bronze center in copper-nickel ring
• Weight: 12 g
• Diameter: 28 mm
• Thickness: 2.55 mm
• Shape: Round
• Edge: Milled with inscription 200 * 200 * 200 * 200 *
• Orientation: Coin alignment (↑↓)
• Technique: Milled
• Issuing entity: Bank of Algeria (بنك الجزائر)
• Mint: Algiers, Algeria (1962–date)
• Demonetized: No — current legal tender
• Currency: Algerian dinar (1964–date)
• Official language: Arabic; Tamazight (Berber) (co-official since 2016)

About Algeria

• Origin of name: From Al-Jazāʼir (الجزائر), Arabic for "The Islands" — referring to four small islands that once stood in the Bay of Algiers before being incorporated into the harbor; the islands themselves gave their name to the city, then to the country
• Capital: Algiers (city pop. ~3.4 million; metro ~5.6 million)
  • Origin of name: Same root as the country — Al-Jazāʼir, "The Islands"; the Phoenicians called the site Ikosim, the Romans Icosium; the Arab name referencing the offshore islands became dominant after the 10th century
• Population: ~46 million (UN 2024) — comparable to Spain or Argentina
• Area: 2,381,741 km² (919,595 mi²) — the largest country in Africa; comparable to Alaska and Texas combined
• GDP per capita (PPP): ~$12,500 (IMF 2024)
• Main exports: Crude oil, natural gas, refined petroleum, ammonia, dates
• Borders: Tunisia and Libya (northeast/east), Niger and Mali (south), Mauritania and Western Sahara (southwest), Morocco (west); Mediterranean coast to the north
• Official/spoken languages: Arabic, Tamazight; French widely used in government, business, and media
• Ethnicities: Arab-Berber (~99%), with small communities of Tuareg and other groups
• Memberships: United Nations (1962); African Union (1963, founding member); Arab League (1962); OPEC (1969); Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
• Sovereignty: Ottoman regency (1516–1830); French colonial rule (1830–1962); War of Independence (1954–1962); People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (1962–date) — this coin issued during this period

Algeria Unfiltered

• Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the Arab world — at 2.38 million km², it is larger than all of Western Europe combined, yet 90% of its population lives on the northern 12% of the territory
• The Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962) killed an estimated 300,000–1.5 million Algerians — one of the deadliest anti-colonial conflicts of the 20th century; France did not officially acknowledge it as a "war" until 1999
• Algeria uses three calendars simultaneously in official contexts: Gregorian, Islamic Hijri, and Amazigh (Berber) — all three appear on this coin
• The Sahara Desert covers roughly 84% of Algeria's territory; the Ahaggar Mountains in the south reach 2,908 m and are home to the Tuareg
• Algeria has the largest natural gas reserves in Africa and is one of Europe's primary gas suppliers — a geopolitical leverage point that became acutely visible after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine
• Timgad, a Roman city in northeastern Algeria founded by Emperor Trajan in 100 AD, is one of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world — a UNESCO World Heritage Site buried under Saharan sand for centuries before excavation

July 5, 1962 — The Day Algeria Became Algeria

The Algerian War of Independence lasted eight years, from November 1, 1954 to July 5, 1962. It was fought between the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) and the French state, which considered Algeria not a colony but an integral part of metropolitan France. The war involved mass civilian displacement, systematic torture documented by both sides, and the exodus of nearly one million pieds-noirs (European settlers) after independence. The 60th anniversary — marked by this coin — was the first major commemoration under President Tebboune, who has made the memory of the independence struggle a central pillar of his government's identity.

Three Calendars on One Coin

The reverse inscription — 1443 / 2972 / 2022–1962 — is a quiet assertion of civilizational depth. The Gregorian dates anchor the anniversary to the international timeline. The Islamic Hijri year (1443) reflects Algeria's Muslim identity. The Amazigh year 2972 is the most politically charged: the Berber calendar was officially recognized by the Algerian state only in 2018, after decades of suppression of Tamazight cultural identity. Its presence on a national commemorative coin — alongside Arabic and Gregorian — represents a significant, if belated, acknowledgment of Algeria's pre-Arab, pre-Islamic roots.

Own this coin and you hold sixty years of independence, three civilizations' worth of timekeeping, and the memory of one of history's most consequential decolonization struggles — all in 12 grams of bimetallic alloy.