200 Rials Imam Reza shrine

The 200 Rials Islamic overprint series — of which this is a part — was produced by applying new revolutionary imagery over existing pre-revolution stock printed by Thomas De La Rue. The overprinting was carried out in Iran, effectively converting Pahlavi-era notes into instruments of the new Islamic Republic without the expense or delay of commissioning entirely new designs. De La Rue's original substrate remained; the political transformation happened on top of it.

Pick 127 dates from the chaotic first year of the Republic, when the Central Bank was simultaneously dealing with the fallout of the hostage crisis, capital flight, and the impending Iraqi invasion launched in September 1980.