{"product_id":"yemen-houthi-p-41-5000-riyals-2016-unc-light-blue-1","title":"Yemen HOUTHI REBELS P-41 5000 Riyals 2016 UNC Light Blue","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is no ordinary banknote — it is a piece of wartime criminal history: a counterfeit 5000 Rials note produced by Houthi militia in 2017 in a brazen attempt to launder millions of rials, seized by Yemeni government forces in barren desert terrain north of Al-Khanjar in Jawf Governorate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue and green multi-color print\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAl-Muhdhar Mosque, Tarim — one of the tallest minarets in the world, a landmark of Islamic scholarship in the Hadhramaut Valley\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eArabic script throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue background with green lettering\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThrone of the Queen of Bilqis (Queen of Sheba) in Ma'rib — ancient ruins of the legendary ruler referenced in the Quran, the Bible, and the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eArms of Yemen\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLettering: CENTRAL BANK OF YEMEN 5000 \/ 5000 FIVE THOUSAND RIALS (Latin script)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e No known varieties of this counterfeit issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-41; Numista N#401170\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 159 × 84 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Houthi militia (counterfeit; not approved or circulated by the Central Bank of Yemen)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e Never legally issued — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003edemonetization\u003c\/a\u003e does not apply; this note was seized before circulation\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yemeni Rial (1990–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language(s):\u003c\/strong\u003e Arabic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Yemen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Disputed — possibly from the Arabic \u003cem\u003eyumn\u003c\/em\u003e (happiness, felicity) or \u003cem\u003eyamīn\u003c\/em\u003e (right hand, i.e., south of Mecca); alternatively linked to the ancient kingdom of Yamnat\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sana'a (city pop. ~3.9 million; metro ~4.6 million)\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e From the ancient South Arabian \u003cem\u003eSana\u003c\/em\u003e, meaning \"fortified place\"; one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~35 million (UN 2024) — comparable to California\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 527,968 km² (203,850 mi²) — slightly larger than France, or roughly the size of Texas and Louisiana combined\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$2,500 (one of the lowest in the Arab world, devastated by ongoing civil war)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Crude oil, liquefied natural gas, fish, coffee (the original Mocha coffee originates here), dried and salted fish\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Saudi Arabia (north), Oman (east); Red Sea (west), Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea (south)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e Arabic; regional dialects include Mehri, Soqotri, and other South Semitic languages\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e Predominantly \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yemeni_Arabs\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArab\u003c\/a\u003e; minorities include \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Afro-Yemenis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAfro-Yemenis\u003c\/a\u003e and small communities of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Asian_Yemenis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Asian Yemenis\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945 — as North and South Yemen separately, unified seat 1990); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arab_League\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArab League\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Organisation_of_Islamic_Cooperation\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOrganisation of Islamic Cooperation\u003c\/a\u003e (1969); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Group_of_77\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG77\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAncient South Arabian kingdoms (1200 BC–300 AD) — including the Sabaean Kingdom (home of the legendary Queen of Sheba\/Bilqis) and the Himyarite Kingdom\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eEthiopian (Aksumite) and Sasanian Persian rule (4th–7th century AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eIslamic conquest (630 AD) — Yemen among the first regions to embrace Islam\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eVarious Islamic dynasties: Umayyad, Abbasid, Ziyadid, Rasulid, Tahirid (7th–16th century)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eOttoman rule (1538–1635; 1849–1918) — two periods of Ottoman occupation, both met with fierce resistance\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eMutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen \/ North Yemen (1918–1962)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eYemen Arab Republic \/ North Yemen (1962–1990) — republic after military coup\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003ePeople's Democratic Republic of Yemen \/ South Yemen (1967–1990) — British Aden Protectorate becomes a Marxist state\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eRepublic of Yemen (1990–date) — unification of North and South; \u003cstrong\u003ethis note produced during this period\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eYemeni Civil War (2014–date) — Houthi forces seize Sana'a; internationally recognized government retreats to Aden; Saudi-led coalition intervenes (2015); ongoing fragmentation\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eYemen Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eYemen is the ancestral homeland of the bin Laden family — Osama bin Laden's father emigrated from Hadhramaut to Saudi Arabia\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe island of Socotra, part of Yemen, is so biologically isolated that a third of its plant species exist nowhere else on Earth — it is sometimes called the \"Galápagos of the Indian Ocean\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMocha coffee — the original, from the port city of Al-Mokha — was the world's dominant coffee trade for centuries before Brazil and Colombia entered the picture\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eYemen has the world's largest humanitarian crisis as of 2024, with over 21 million people in need of aid\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eQat (khat), a mild stimulant leaf, is chewed by an estimated 70–90% of Yemeni men daily — and consumes an estimated 30–40% of the country's scarce water supply\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe ancient walled city of Shibam in Hadhramaut, built entirely of mud brick skyscrapers up to 11 stories tall, is called the \"Manhattan of the Desert\" and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDespite being one of the Arab world's poorest countries, Yemen has a rich tradition of honey production — Sidr honey from Hadhramaut sells for up to $200\/kg internationally\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eA Counterfeit Born of War\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2017, as Yemen's civil war fractured the country between the internationally recognized government and Houthi forces, the Houthis took an audacious step: printing their own version of the 5000 Rials note. The operation was not subtle — \u003cstrong\u003elarge quantities were seized by government forces in barren desert terrain near Al Hobil Arouq\u003c\/strong\u003e, approximately 70 kilometers north of Al-Khanjar in Jawf Governorate. The notes were never approved or circulated by the Central Bank of Yemen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Queen of Sheba's Throne\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse features the \u003cstrong\u003eThrone of Bilqis\u003c\/strong\u003e — the legendary Queen of Sheba — at Ma'rib, the ancient Sabaean capital. The ruins of the Awwam Temple (also called the Mahram Bilqis) and the nearby Ma'rib Dam stand as testament to a civilization that flourished when Rome was still a village. \u003cstrong\u003eThe Queen of Sheba appears in the Quran (Surah An-Naml), the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings 10), and the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast\u003c\/strong\u003e — making her one of the most cross-culturally significant figures in world history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAl-Muhdhar Mosque, Tarim\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe obverse showcases the \u003cstrong\u003eAl-Muhdhar Mosque in Tarim\u003c\/strong\u003e, Hadhramaut — home to one of the tallest minarets in the Arab world at approximately 53 meters. Tarim has historically been one of the most important centers of Islamic scholarship in the world, producing scholars whose influence spread across East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia through the Hadhramaut diaspora.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Piece of Wartime History\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not a note that circulated in a wallet or a bazaar. It was printed in secret, seized in the desert, and survived as evidence of one of the most brazen monetary crimes of the 21st century's most devastating conflict. \u003cstrong\u003eOwn a genuine artifact of Yemen's civil war\u003c\/strong\u003e — a counterfeit that tells the story of a nation torn apart, and the ancient civilization that endured beneath it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGraded UNC. Ships in a protective sleeve. A singular addition to any collection focused on conflict currency, Middle Eastern history, or the ancient world of South Arabia.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52074905239863,"sku":"YE-HOU41UNC","price":17.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/41o_9d3b341c-6ff6-465e-a531-b55ae2273401.jpg?v=1779545022","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/yemen-houthi-p-41-5000-riyals-2016-unc-light-blue-1","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}