1/4 Mithqal - Tahmasp I Safavi Khazana - Fourth Gold Standard

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.