Featured here is the ¼ Rial Saidi ( in pristine, uncirculated condition ) of the Sultanate of Muscat & Oman and was issued by the first Sultan prior to July 1970 ( see copy below ).

The nation formerly called Muscat & Oman was one of the most strategic; lying between India and the Arabian states ( on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula ). Interestingly enough, Oman includes the Ra's ( cape ) of Musandam, which is separated from the rest of the country by the country called United Arab Emirates . Oman's total area is about 212,457 square kilometers ( about 82,030 square miles ).

Muscat is the capital of Oman, flanked by mountains, it is the nation's chief administrative center and largest city. It's been important since the 6th century BC, when Persians controlled the port. It was under Portuguese domination from 1508 to 1650, when finally the locals revolted. But subsequently the Persians once again took control of the city. Muscat became the capital of independent Muscat and Oman in 1741 ( population 30,000 ) upon Ahmed ibn Said?s ( of the present ruling family ) conquest and the departure of the Persians. During the 19th Century Muscat & Oman was the most powerful nation in the region, but was subsequently weakened by raids of the interior nomadic tribes. A treaty of friendship was signed with Britain in 1798.

On July 23, 1970 Sultan Said bin Taimur was overthrown by his son Qabus bin Said, who changed the country's name to the Sultanate of Oman. Modern highways also built in the 1970s, link Muscat with other Omani centers and with the neighboring U.A.E.