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

Tahmasp I ruled for over fifty years — the longest reign of any Safavid shah — yet his monetary administration was anything but static. The shift of the imperial capital from Tabriz to Qazwin in 1555, following relentless Ottoman pressure on the northwestern frontier, directly influenced mint output and coin typology during the latter half of his reign. The "Fourth Gold Standard" designation reflects a documented recalibration of the mithqal-based weight system, one of several adjustments Tahmasp made as war expenditure and Silk Road trade revenues fluctuated across his reign.

At 1.15 g, this quarter mithqal sits at the practical lower boundary of Safavid gold coinage intended for actual commercial use.