Harrison & Sons had been printing Iranian banknotes since the early Pahlavi period, and by the late 1950s the relationship was well established — this series benefited from Harrison's intaglio expertise, though the 10 Rial denomination was always the workhorse of everyday transactions and suffered heavy attrition in circulation. The watermark was the primary security feature at this level; thread and foil additions came only with later issues.
Pick 68 sits within a transitional moment for Bank Melli: the Oil Nationalization crisis of the early 1950s had badly strained Iran's foreign exchange, and the relative monetary stability of 1958 reflected the post-Mossadegh settlement with the international oil consortium rather than any organic recovery.
Harrison & Sons had been printing Iranian banknotes since the early Pahlavi period, and by the late 1950s the relationship was well established — this series benefited from Harrison's intaglio expertise, though the 10 Rial denomination was always the workhorse of everyday transactions and suffered heavy attrition in circulation. The watermark was the primary security feature at this level; thread and foil additions came only with later issues.
Pick 68 sits within a transitional moment for Bank Melli: the Oil Nationalization crisis of the early 1950s had badly strained Iran's foreign exchange, and the relative monetary stability of 1958 reflected the post-Mossadegh settlement with the international oil consortium rather than any organic recovery.