Refine your search

The results of your search are listed below alongside the search terms you entered on the previous page. You can refine your search by amending any of the parameters in the form and resubmitting it.

Select all Deselect all Add selection to lightbox
Large Small
Thumbnails per page
Frankincense has been traded on the Arabian Peninsula and in North Africa for more than 5000 years.<br/><br/> A mural depicting sacks of frankincense traded from the Land of Punt adorns the walls of the temple of ancient Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, who died in 1458 BCE. The Incense trade route or the Incense Road of Antiquity comprised a network of major ancient trading routes linking the Mediterranean world with Eastern sources of incense (and spices), stretching from Mediterranean ports across the Levant and Egypt through Arabia to India.<br/><br/> The incense trade flourished from South Arabia to the Mediterranean between roughly the 3rd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. The Incense Route served as a channel for trading of goods such as Arabian frankincense and myrrh; Indian spices, ebony, silk and fine textiles; and East African rare woods, feathers, animal skins and gold.
The reverse shows a herd of camels surrounded by Arabesques with a warning in French and Arabic that counterfeiters will be punished by forced labour for life.<br/><br/> Djibouti is a tiny country on the east coast of Africa bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is located opposite the gulf from Aden in Yemen, and together they form the gateway to the Red Sea. As such, Djibouti was for centuries a major trading port.<br/><br/> The less than one million population is composed mostly of two ethnicities: Somalis and Afars. Although Arabic and French are the country's official languages, Somali and Afar are widely spoken. Some 96% of the people are Sunni Muslim. Both males and females are traditionally circumcized in Djibouti.<br/><br/> In the 19th century, Djibouti was known as French Somaliland as it was acquired by France from Somali sultans. In 1958, on the eve of neighboring Somalia's independence in 1960, a referendum was held in Djibouti to decide whether or not to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France. The referendum turned out in favour of a continued association with France. Djibouti finally achieved independence on 27 June 1977.<br/><br/> Since independence, Djibouti has remained close to France, though it is also a member of the Arab League and the African Union.
The obverse shows an Indian Ocean dhow surrounded by Arabesques with 'Fifty Francs' in Arabic and French. To the left the name 'Djibouti' is printed in Arabic and Ethiopian scripts for the Somali Issa and Ethiopian Afar inhabitants.<br/><br/> Djibouti is a tiny country on the east coast of Africa bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is located opposite the gulf from Aden in Yemen, and together they form the gateway to the Red Sea. As such, Djibouti was for centuries a major trading port.<br/><br/> The less than one million population is composed mostly of two ethnicities: Somalis and Afars. Although Arabic and French are the country's official languages, Somali and Afar are widely spoken. Some 96% of the people are Sunni Muslim. Both males and females are traditionally circumcized in Djibouti.<br/><br/> In the 19th century, Djibouti was known as French Somaliland as it was acquired by France from Somali sultans. In 1958, on the eve of neighboring Somalia's independence in 1960, a referendum was held in Djibouti to decide whether or not to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France. The referendum turned out in favour of a continued association with France. Djibouti finally achieved independence on 27 June 1977.<br/><br/> Since independence, Djibouti has remained close to France, though it is also a member of the Arab League and the African Union.