1.000 Rials = 10 Pahlavi

The Banque Mellié Iran was established in 1928 specifically to break the British Imperial Bank of Persia's monopoly on note issuance — a monopoly that had been commercially exploited for decades. This 1,000 Rial note belongs to the early period of genuinely independent Iranian central banking, when Harrison & Sons in London were the preferred printer for high-denomination issues requiring intaglio-quality work.

The dual denomination — Rials and Pahlavis — reflects Reza Shah's currency reforms, with the Pahlavi unit introduced as a prestige denomination tied to gold equivalence. By the time British and Soviet forces occupied Iran in 1941 and deposed Reza Shah, notes of this series were already being withdrawn.