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2 Shahi - Isma`il I Safavi Tehran, First Standard
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Currency | Shahi (1501-1798) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears a multi-line Arabic calligraphic legend in Naskh script, arranged in horizontal registers and enclosed within a central rectangular cartouche with decorative borders. The upper field carries the royal titulature of Shah Ismail I, reading 'Al-Sultan al-Adil al-Kamil al-Hadi al-Wali Abu al-Muzaffar Shah Ismail Bahadur Khan al-Safawi,' proclaiming his sovereignty and Safavid lineage. A marginal or lower legend records the mint name 'Zarb Tehran,' indicating the place of striking. The script is boldly executed with characteristic early Safavid calligraphic style, filling the flan with confident, deeply incuse strokes. The overall composition is typical of the First Standard coinage issued during the reign of Shah Ismail I. |
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| Reverse lettering | السلطان العادل الکامل الهادی الولی ابوالمظفر شاه اسمعیل بهادرخان الصفوی خلد الله ملکه و سلطانه ضرب طهران |
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| Additional information |
Isma'il I founded the Safavid dynasty in 1501 and almost immediately imposed Twelver Shi'a Islam as the state religion — a politically explosive move that defined Persian identity against the Sunni Ottoman empire to the west. The monetary system he established was built around the shahi as the base unit, with the 2 shahi serving as a workhorse denomination in early Safavid commerce.
Tehran at this period was a minor settlement, not yet the capital it would become under the Qajars nearly three centuries later. A mint operating there under Isma'il I places this piece among the earlier provincial issues of the dynasty's first standard coinage.