Catalog
1 000 000 Rials
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 000 000 Rials |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is divided between a left field of dense purple-pink guilloche underprint with a stylised lotus motif at bottom centre, and a right field dominated by a large, intricate circular medallion of interlaced curvilinear guilloche in pale blue and white on a light ground. The issuing authority's name in English — "CENTRAL BANK OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN" and "IRAN CHEQUE" — appears at upper left in bold letterpress, with the denomination numeral "1000000" at upper right and "ONE MILLION RIALS" at lower right. Three lines of Farsi script indicating signature fields (buyer, depositor, and payee) are set within the right panel. |
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| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Iran introduced million-rial denominations not as a sign of hyperinflation by international standards, but as a practical response to years of accumulated currency erosion — by 2008, the rial had lost so much ground against the dollar that even routine transactions required unwieldy bundles of lower-denomination notes. The million-rial note was a belated acknowledgment of that arithmetic.
The print run of just over 12 million is modest for a high-denomination note in a country of Iran's population, suggesting limited initial rollout rather than emergency printing. Watermark-only security for a note at this face value reflects the period's constrained access to advanced Western printing technology, a direct consequence of sanctions limiting procurement from major security printers.