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2 Rial - Fat'h Ali Qajar
| Issuer | Iran |
|---|---|
| Year | 1814 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears a multi-line calligraphic legend in elegant Nasta'liq script reading 'Al-Sultan ibn al-Sultan Fath Ali Shah Qajar', affirming the royal lineage of the Qajar sovereign. The inscription is enclosed within a raised inner circle, surrounded by an ornate border of interlacing floral and arabesque scrollwork with small rosette embellishments. The overall design is characteristic of early Qajar minting tradition, emphasizing calligraphic artistry over portraiture. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
Fat'h Ali Shah's monetary system was notoriously inconsistent — the rial coinage of this period was struck by hand at multiple regional mints across the Qajar empire, each operating with considerable autonomy. Dies were cut locally, producing dramatic variation in strike quality and centering between mints such as Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Rasht. KM#675 encompasses pieces from several of these facilities, and mint identification often requires consultation of the Persian legends rather than physical characteristics alone.
This issue falls squarely within the period of intense Anglo-Russian rivalry over Persian territory, with both powers subsidizing the Qajar court to secure favorable treaties — the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan having just stripped Iran of its Caucasian territories following the first Russo-Persian war.