Catalog
2 Shahi - Isma'il I Safavi Qazwin mint
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1503-1512 |
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| Currency | Shahi (1501-1798) |
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| Obverse description | Hammered silver flan of irregular oval form bearing a multi-line Arabic legend in bold naskh script, densely filling the central field. The inscription records the full royal titulature of Shah Isma'il I, reading: 'The sultan, the just, the perfect, the spiritual guide, the friend, father of the victorious one, al-Safavi — may Allah on High perpetuate his reign and his sultanate.' A continuous marginal legend encircles the field, partially truncated at the irregular flan edges. The die work is characteristic of early Safavid hammered coinage, with strong, deeply-cut letterforms and minimal decorative ornament. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Isma'il I founded the Safavid state in 1501 and immediately imposed Twelver Shi'a Islam as the official religion — a decision that fractured the Islamic world and put Safavid Iran on a permanent war footing with Ottoman Sunni orthodoxy. Qazwin served as a significant administrative center during his reign before his grandson Tahmasp I formally moved the capital there in 1555.
The 2 Shahi denomination corresponds to the early Safavid monetary reorganization built around the shahi as the base silver unit. Issues from Isma'il's reign predate the standardization that later mints would achieve under his successors.