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Shahi - Tahmasp I Tehran; Second Western Silver Standard
| Issuer | Safavid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1532 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The entire field is filled with the Shi'a kalima in bold thuluth script, arranged in three horizontal registers: the shahada 'La ilaha illa Allah' in the upper zone, 'Muhammad rasul Allah' in the central zone, and the Alid declaration 'Ali wali Allah' in the lower zone. The deeply engraved, interlacing calligraphic strokes are characteristic of Safavid religious coinage, affirming the dynasty's Twelver Shi'a confession. The flat field is otherwise devoid of ornament, and the irregular flan edge results in minor legend clipping at the periphery. |
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| Mintage | 938 (1532) |
| Additional information |
Tahmasp I consolidated Safavid monetary policy early in his reign by establishing regional minting standards, and the Second Western Silver Standard reflects a deliberate recalibration of the shahi's silver content relative to Ottoman coinage — a practical response to cross-border trade friction in the Caucasus and Anatolia. Tehran at this period was a minor administrative center, not yet the capital it would become under the Qajars.
Album 2596 distinguishes this type within a sequence of closely related Tahmasp issues; mint attribution within the western series can be contentious, and Tehran examples are among the scarcer provincial strikes of the reign.