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5 Toman - Fath Ali Shah
| Issuer | Iran |
|---|---|
| Year | 1812 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Toman (تومان) (50) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The entire field is occupied by a bold, deeply struck nastaliq inscription rendered in an ornate calligraphic style, with elegant foliate arabesques and stippled dot clusters filling the interstitial spaces. The legend reads 'Al-Sultan ibn al-Sultan Fath Ali Shah Qajar,' proclaiming the royal Qajar dynastic title and lineage. The inscription is arranged in sweeping diagonal bands characteristic of Persian court calligraphy of the early 19th century. The field is bordered by a continuous raised bead or dot border encircling the entire design. The overall composition is typical of Qajar presentation coinage, emphasizing regal script over figural imagery. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Arabic/Persian (nastaliq) |
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| Additional information |
Fath Ali Shah's court demanded coinage that functioned as political theater as much as currency, and the heavy gold tomans of his reign were issued in part to impress foreign dignitaries during a period when Qajar Iran was being actively courted — and pressured — by both Britain and Napoleonic France. The 1812 date falls squarely within the aftermath of the Golestan negotiations, when Russia had just seized the Caucasian territories following the first Russo-Persian War.
Few of these pieces entered everyday commerce. At five tomans, the face value far exceeded what most Iranians handled in months of trade.