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1/2 Mithqal - Mohammad Khudabanda Mashhad, Type B
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1585 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Mithqal (24) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic (thuluth) |
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| Reverse description | Central field bearing the royal titulature and mint-date formula inscribed in thuluth script, arranged in interlocking diagonal registers across the irregular flan. The legend identifies the issuer as 'Servant of Imam Mohammad Mahdi, Abu al-Muzaffar Sultan Muhammad Khodabandeh,' followed by the mint name Mashhad and the AH date 993. The bold, deeply incised lettering is typical of Safavid hammered gold production, with the script filling the available field without a formal border. The flan shows characteristic irregular edges and surface undulation resulting from the hammering process. |
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| Additional information |
Mohammad Khudabanda (r. 1578–1587) was among the weakest rulers of the Safavid line — nearly blind, politically outmaneuvered by his queen and later by his own son Abbas, and presiding over a dynasty losing ground to both the Ottomans in the west and the Uzbeks in the east. That gold continued to be struck at Mashhad during his reign speaks more to institutional momentum than to royal authority.
The Type B designation within this series reflects a die variation documented in the Islamic Coin catalog, distinct from the earlier Type A issues of the same reign. Mashhad, as a major Shia pilgrimage center, maintained an active mint throughout this period.