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1 Mithqal - Muhammad Khodabanda Safavi type B, Tebriz
| Issuer | Safavid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1579 |
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| Value | 1 Mithqal (48) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Densely struck hammered gold flan bearing bold Arabic calligraphy in the Naskh script, covering the entire field without a defined border. The central legend declares the ruler's devotion as 'Ghulam-i Imam Muhammad Mahdi' (Servant of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi), a characteristic Safavid Twelver Shi'a profession of faith. The mint name Tabriz (تبریز) and the AH regnal year 987 appear within the field, completing the obverse inscription. The irregular flan and vigorous relief are typical of Safavid hammered gold coinage of the late sixteenth century. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Hammered gold field entirely filled with the Shi'a kalima and the names of the Twelve Imams rendered in bold Arabic Naskh calligraphy across the surface. The legend opens with the shahada 'La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah, Ali wali Allah' followed by the sequence of the Twelve Imams: Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Ali, Muhammad, Ja'far, Musa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan, and Muhammad. The densely packed inscription leaves virtually no open field, a hallmark of Safavid Twelver Shi'a numismatic tradition. The flan is irregular in outline, consistent with hand-hammered production at the Tabriz mint. |
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| Mintage | 987 (1579) |
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