Nāṣer al-Dīn Shāh's reign saw repeated attempts to rationalize Iran's chaotic coinage system, and the tuman-based decimal series introduced in the late 1870s was the most coherent of these efforts. The 1/5 tuman fraction served the practical demands of a bazaar economy where gold needed to circulate in small denominations. At well under a gram of gold, these fractional pieces were struck in quantity but survived poorly — lost, melted, or exported during the chronic fiscal instability that plagued the Qajar treasury throughout this period.
Nāṣer al-Dīn Shāh's reign saw repeated attempts to rationalize Iran's chaotic coinage system, and the tuman-based decimal series introduced in the late 1870s was the most coherent of these efforts. The 1/5 tuman fraction served the practical demands of a bazaar economy where gold needed to circulate in small denominations. At well under a gram of gold, these fractional pieces were struck in quantity but survived poorly — lost, melted, or exported during the chronic fiscal instability that plagued the Qajar treasury throughout this period.