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Rial - Baba Khan Type B, Tehran
| Issuer | Iran |
|---|---|
| Year | 1797 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a bold thuluth Arabic legend in two registers, proclaiming royal and divine authority in the name of Baba Khan (Fath Ali Shah). The inscription is rendered in deeply struck, flowing calligraphy characteristic of early Qajar coinage. A decorative dotted border encircles the entire design, serving as the outer boundary of the coin. The irregular flan and hammered fabric are typical of Tehran mint production of this period. No figural imagery is present, the design being entirely epigraphic in the Persianate Islamic tradition. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a Shi'ite kalima legend arranged in two horizontal registers divided by a ruled line, executed in thuluth script across the central field. The upper register contains the religious formula, while the lower register records the mint name and Hijri date. A scalloped or foliate border runs along the lower rim, and a dotted border frames the upper portion of the field. The coin's hammered fabric results in a slightly irregular outline, consistent with early Qajar Tehran mint issues of AH 1212. |
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| Additional information |
Baba Khan seized control of Iran in 1797 following the death of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar — the eunuch founder of the Qajar dynasty who was murdered by his own servants. Before formally taking the throne name Fath Ali Shah in 1798, Baba Khan issued coinage in his birth name, making this a transitional type with an exceptionally narrow window of production. Type B distinguishes itself from Type A by calligraphic differences in the mint name rendering, a distinction documented in Album's Islamic coinage references and meaningful for establishing die chronology within this brief pre-coronation period.