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1/4 Mithqal - Tahmasp I Safavi Kashan - Fourth Gold Standard
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1524-1576 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Shahi (1501-1798) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field bearing the Shia Kalima (Islamic declaration of faith in its Twelver Shia form) rendered in deeply struck, interlaced Nasta'liq calligraphy. The inscription fills the entire flan in a flowing, ornate script characteristic of Safavid gold coinage, with individual letter strokes intertwining across the field. The irregular flan and variable strike are typical of hammered Safavid quarter-mithqal pieces of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | کاشان ۹٦١ (Translation: Kashan 961) |
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| Additional information |
Tahmasp I ruled for over fifty years — the longest reign in Safavid history — and his monetary reforms reshaped the dynasty's gold coinage across multiple phases. The "Fourth Gold Standard" designation reflects one of several recalibrations to the mithqal weight system undertaken during his reign, as the court adjusted to pressures from both Ottoman economic competition to the west and shifting Central Asian trade dynamics to the east. Kashan, a significant craft and commercial center, operated as one of the more productive provincial mints under his administration.