King Abdullah I of Jordan, a member of the Hashemite dynasty, was a major figure in Middle Eastern history from 1921 to 1946. Born in Mecca in 1882, he grew up in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. In his early years, he participated in the Arab nationalist movement, which called for the independence of the Arab territories from the Ottoman Empire. In 1916, he played an important role in the outbreak of the Arab uprising against the Ottoman rule. In 1920, the Iraqi Congress proclaimed him king of Iraq, but he refused the throne, which was later given to his younger brother, Faisal I. As Emir of Transjordan from 1921, Abdullah gradually negotiated the legal separation between the mandate of Transjordan and Britain. His goal was to create a united Arab kingdom that would include Syria, Iraq, and Transjordan. He worked closely with the United Kingdom during World War II, and his army, the Arab Legion, took part in the occupation of British troops in Syria and Iraq in 1941. In 1946, Transjordan became independent, and Abdullah was crowned in Amman on 25 May. He was the only Arab leader to accept the UN's 1947 partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. In the 1948 war with Israel, its armies occupied Palestine west of the Jordan River, later known as the West Bank, and occupied East Jerusalem, including the Old City. Two years later, he annexed the West Bank into the kingdom, changing the country's name to Jordan. Abdullah's popularity declined and he was assassinated by a Palestinian nationalist in 1951. During his reign, Jordan played an important role in the political development of the region, and its influence can still be felt in Middle Eastern geopolitics today.

King Abdullah I of Jordan ruled Jordan from 1921 to 1951, first as Emir and then as King from 1946. During its mintage, it issued several coins that changed during the British Mandate, independence, and occupation of the Palestinian territories. In the 1920s, Emir Abdullah's coins were identical to those of British Mandate Palestine, which were a subset of the British pound. These coins had Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions and bore the coat of arms of the British Crown. In the 1930s, Emir Abdullah introduced new coins called the Transjordan dinar, which were equivalent to the British pound. These coins had Arabic and English inscriptions and bore the Hashemite coat of arms. In the 1940s, Emir Abdullah issued additional coins known as the Transjordanian fils and were a subset of the Transjordanian dinar. These coins had Arabic and English inscriptions and featured Abdullah's portrait in addition to the Hashemite coat of arms. In 1946, Emir Abdullah became king and changed the country's name to Jordan. The new royal coins were named the Jordanian dinar and the Jordanian fils, and remained at par with the British pound. These coins had Arabic and English inscriptions and, in addition to the Hashemite coat of arms, Abdullah's portrait was also on them. In 1948, Jordan occupied part of the Palestinian territories and took over the coins there. These coins were called the Palestine pound and Palestine mils and were a subset of the British pound. These coins had inscriptions in Arabic, Hebrew and English and bore the coat of arms of the British Crown. In 1950, Jordan annexed the occupied Palestinian territories and replaced the coins there. The new coins were called the Jordanian dinar and the Jordanian fils, and remained at par with the British pound. These coins had Arabic and English inscriptions and featured Abdullah's portrait in addition to the Hashemite coat of arms. In 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated and his son Talal succeeded him on the throne.