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1/4 Mithqal - Tahmasp I Safavi Khazana - 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 |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field bearing the mint name Khazana (خزانه) together with the regnal date 960 AH (1553 CE) and the royal Safavid inscription, all arranged in multiple horizontal registers in Nasta'liq script. The legends are enclosed within a ruled linear border, with the mint epithet and date clearly distinguished from the titulature. The surface shows characteristic flow lines and surface irregularities consistent with hammered production on a small irregular flan. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (1524-1576) - - 960 (1553) - - |
| Additional information |
Tahmasp I ruled for over fifty years — the longest reign of any Safavid shah — yet his coinage remains poorly systematized in Western collections, partly because his mint output was deliberately decentralized across provincial treasuries rather than concentrated at a single imperial mint. The Khazana designation on this type signals treasury-issue gold, struck to a fractional mithqal standard that served fiscal accounting functions within the Safavid administrative apparatus rather than routine commerce.
The "Fourth Gold Standard" classification reflects a documented shift in Safavid monetary policy during Tahmasp's reign, as the dynasty recalibrated weight standards multiple times in response to Ottoman pressure and the disruption of Silk Road trade revenues.