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1/2 Mithqal - Tahmasp I Safavi Tabriz, First Gold Standard
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1524 |
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| Currency | Shahi (1501-1798) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse field bears a multi-line Arabic and Persian legend densely inscribed across the flan, naming the ruler Shah Tahmasp and the Tabriz mint. The calligraphy is executed in a fluid Nasta'liq style, with strokes overlapping at the margins due to the irregular hammered planchet. A partial rectangular cartouche frames the central inscription, consistent with early Safavid minting conventions. The legends are deeply struck, with slight weakness at the periphery owing to the hand-struck technique. |
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| Reverse lettering | شاه طهماسب ضرب تبریز (Translation: Shah Tahmasb Tabriz mint) |
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| Additional information |
Tahmasp I inherited the Safavid throne at ten years old following his father Ismail I's death, and the early coinage of his reign reflects the factional instability that plagued the court — Qizilbash tribal commanders effectively controlled state decisions for the first decade. This piece belongs to the Tabriz mint output from that transitional moment, before the Ottomans sacked the city in 1534 and forced the capital's eventual relocation to Qazvin.
The mithqal weight standard under the early Safavids was inherited from Timurid practice, though Tahmasp's administration worked to regularize it. Album 2591 represents one of the cleaner documentary fixed points for this denomination in the series.