Young collector in search for elusive commemoration coin
From the moment he saw the “I love UAE” Dh1 coin’s unique design, Nihad Hassan knew it was the start of a new passion.
“I was amazed by its shape and design, I had never seen anything like it,” says Nihad, 17, an Indian living in Abu Dhabi. “It had a heart shape with the UAE map inside it and ‘I love UAE’ in words.
“My uncle gave it to me and when I Googled it, I found out that it was issued in 2010 in celebration of the ‘I Love UAE ‘campaign. A unique bond was established when I first saw the coin and that’s when the hunt began and I started collecting more and more.”
Nihad has collected 32 different Dh1 coins in the past year and wants to find more. His collection includes the 27th Chess Olympiad Dh1, issued in 1986, the Dubai Police Golden Jubilee and the 60th anniversary of Abu Dhabi Police coins.
“Some of the coins are rare and were very hard to get but my uncle, who runs a fruit and vegetable shop in Abu Dhabi, managed to find many of them,” he says.
“I got three of them from the supermarket and the rest were collected with the help of my father, who works at a government authority. It wasn’t an easy process as you can wait for so long to find one. It needs patience and desire.”
Nihad says he has learnt a lot about the UAE’s history, culture and attractions.
“The oldest coin I have is the 35th Anniversary of the National Bank of Dubai Dh1, which was issued between 1963 and 1998 and shows the bank building,” he says.
“Each coin tells a story about the country and its development. My favourite one is the ‘75th Anniversary of Sharjah International Airport’ Dh1, which has three flying birds.
“I feel they are my treasure and I always feel proud when showing them to others.”
“I want to collect as much as I can and then show them to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid [Vice President and Ruler of Dubai].”
Nihad hopes to find the Dh1 issued in 2015 on the seventh anniversary of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s accession as Crown Prince of Dubai.
Some of the coins are rare and were very hard to get but my uncle managed to find many of them NIHAD HASSAN