Fils (currency)

This article is about the currency denomination and coin. For other uses, see Fils.

The fils (Arabic: فلس) is a subdivision of currency used in some Arab countries, such as, in modern times, Iraq and Bahrain. The term is a modern retranscription of fals, an early medieval Arab copper coin first produced by the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) beginning in the late 7th century and used throughout the region under its rule.

"Fils" is the singular form in Arabic, not plural (as its final consonant might indicate to an English speaker). The plural form of fils is fulūs pl. fulus which can also refer to small amounts of money or to money in general in contemporary dialects of Arabic (eg. Egyptian, Iraqi, Levantine and many other varieties of Arabic). The plural form closely resembles the Greek follis from which the Arabic is derived. The French term flouze is borrowed from Arabic. It is also absorbed into Malay language through the word fulus فولوس.

100 Fils (Bahrain).
First side of the image: Obverse: A palm tree with lettering "حكومة البحرين" (Government of Bahrain) and year of minting in Gregorian and Islamic years (1965-1385) inscribed in Arabic.
Second side of the image: Reverse: Face-value and country name.
8,312,000 coins minted in 1965
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