1/2 Mithqal - Tahmasb I Safavi Qazwīn mint

Tahmasb I relocated the Safavid capital from Tabriz to Qazwin in 1555, partly to reduce vulnerability to Ottoman raids — but Qazwin mint was already active before the move made it politically central. This half mithqal dates to the middle of Tahmasb's extraordinarily long reign, a period defined by his consolidation of Twelver Shi'ism as state doctrine and near-constant military pressure from both the Ottomans to the west and the Uzbeks to the east. Gold fractions of this denomination and mint are considerably scarcer than their silver counterparts from the same years.