Catalog
500 Rials Imam Reza shrine
| Issuer | Bank Markazi Iran |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 160 x 85 mm |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A central intaglio vignette reproduces the Achaemenid motif of two confronted winged bulls (lamassu) flanking a stylised tree of life, drawn from the ancient reliefs of Persepolis, set against a warm orange guilloche underprint. To the right, the circular seal of the Islamic Republic of Iran — rendered in dark intaglio with radiating lines and a ring of stars — is set within an ornamental floral and arabesque panel. Denomination numerals '500' appear in the upper corners and the value '500 RIALS' is printed in the lower left, with the bank title 'BANK MARKAZI IRAN' across the top. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
This note belongs to the first series issued after the Islamic Revolution, when the new government faced an immediate problem: vast quantities of pre-revolutionary banknotes — many bearing the Shah's portrait — remained in circulation. Rather than printing entirely new notes from scratch, the interim solution was to overprint existing De La Rue-produced stock with Islamic Republic imagery, effectively defacing the old regime's iconography. The Imam Reza shrine reverse was part of this transitional visual vocabulary, chosen explicitly for its religious rather than political associations.
The continued use of Thomas De La Rue as printer is worth noting. Despite the revolutionary government's hostility toward Western influence, the practical reality of secure currency production meant relying on the same London contractor the Shah had used.