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⅙ Mithghal - Isma'il I Safavi Shiraz
| Issuer | Safavid Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1523 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field bears a multi-line Arabic inscription in bold naskh script proclaiming the ruler's titles, mint name, and regnal year. The legend reads 'Sultan Shah Isma'il, struck in Shiraz, 929 [AH].' A partial circular cartouche or linear border frames the central inscription, with marginal legends extending toward the edge of the irregular flan. The date 929 AH (1523 CE) is clearly rendered in Eastern Arabic numerals in the lower portion of the field. The overall style is consistent with early Safavid provincial gold coinage from the Shiraz mint. |
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| Reverse lettering | السلطان شاه اسمعیل ضرب شیراز ۹۲۹ (Translation: Sultan Shah Isma`il Struck in Shiraz 929) |
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| Additional information |
Isma'il I founded the Safavid state in 1501 and immediately imposed Twelver Shi'a Islam as the state religion — a decision that fractured relations with the Ottoman Empire and made every coin struck in his name a political instrument as much as a monetary one. The Shiraz mint was among the most productive in his realm, serving the commercial heart of Fars province. Isma'il died in 1524, the year after this piece was struck, having never recovered politically or psychologically from the catastrophic defeat at Chaldiran in 1514, where Ottoman artillery destroyed his cavalry and, by most accounts, broke him.