1 Mithqal - Muhammad Khodabanda Safavi type A, Qazwin mint

Muhammad Khodabanda (Shah Mohammad I) came to power in 1578 not through strength but by default — nearly blind from a childhood eye condition, he was passed over for succession until no viable alternative remained after the deaths of Ismail II and the preceding factional bloodshed. His coinage reflects a reign defined by regency politics, with the Qizilbash tribal confederacy and later his own son Abbas effectively controlling state decisions. Qazwin had served as the Safavid capital since Tahmasp I relocated it from Tabriz in 1555, partly to distance the court from Ottoman raiding range.

The Type A designation distinguishes this issue from later die modifications introduced as the reign destabilized under Uzbek and Ottoman military pressure on two fronts simultaneously.