A mule — produced by pairing dies from two different coin types — this piece combines elements not intended to appear together. Mules from the Tehran mint during the late Qajar period occasionally emerged from the workshop rather than official production, likely the result of a die mix-up or deliberate experimentation by mint workers. Naser al-Din Shah had been assassinated in 1896, so any post-1896 issue bearing his name reflects either stockpiled dies or a successor's decision to exhaust remaining inventory before re-tooling.
A mule — produced by pairing dies from two different coin types — this piece combines elements not intended to appear together. Mules from the Tehran mint during the late Qajar period occasionally emerged from the workshop rather than official production, likely the result of a die mix-up or deliberate experimentation by mint workers. Naser al-Din Shah had been assassinated in 1896, so any post-1896 issue bearing his name reflects either stockpiled dies or a successor's decision to exhaust remaining inventory before re-tooling.