1/2 Shahi - Ismail I Safavi Qumm, Second Standard

Ismail I established the Safavid monetary system in two distinct phases, and this piece belongs to the second, reformed standard introduced after his earlier coinage proved inconsistent in weight across mints. Qumm — modern Qom — held particular religious significance for the Safavids, housing the shrine of Fatemeh Masumeh, and its mint was not merely administrative but symbolically freighted for a dynasty that had just imposed Twelver Shia Islam as Iran's state religion by force.

Ismail died in 1524, meaning this half-shahi was struck in the last full year of his reign.