Rupee - Isma'il III Safavi - Safavid shadow kings Type A, Māzandarān mint

Isma'il III was a puppet shah installed by the Zand chief Karim Khan, who ruled effective power while the Safavid name lent nominal dynastic legitimacy to his regime. The Māzandarān mint — operating in the Caspian littoral region — continued striking in the shadow king's name during this transitional period, though real political authority over the region had already passed well beyond the coin's named issuer. Isma'il III's "reign" lasted only until 1773, when Karim Khan finally dispensed with the fiction altogether.