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1 Mithqal - Muhammad Khodabanda Safavi type A, Qazwin mint
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1579 |
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| Reference(s) | A#2616.1 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | Hammered gold flan bearing the Shi'a profession of faith rendered in bold Nasta'liq script across the field. The legend is arranged in multiple registers and reads the Shahada followed by the name of the Prophet Muhammad and the acknowledgment of Ali as the Wali of God, reflecting the Twelver Shi'a doctrinal formula standard on Safavid coinage. The flan edges are irregular and show the characteristic spread of a hand-struck issue. |
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| Additional information |
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.