Obverse. Photo © Alexander Malioukov
  • 1/2 Qiran 1822-1831, KM# 702, Iran, Qajar dynasty, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
  • 1/2 Qiran 1822-1831, KM# 702, Iran, Qajar dynasty, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Description

The Persian Empire is any of a series of imperial dynasties centered in Persia (Iran). The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal dynasty of Turkic origin, which ruled Persia (Iran) from 1785 to 1925. The state ruled by the dynasty was officially known as the Sublime State of Persia.

Historically, Iran has been referred to as Persia by the West, due mainly to the writings of Greek historians who called Iran Persis (Περσίς), meaning "land of the Persians." As the most extensive interactions the Ancient Greeks had with any outsider was with the Persians, the term persisted, even long after the Persian rule in Greece. In 1935, Reza Shah requested the international community to refer to the country by its native name, Iran.

The qiran, also qerun or kran, was a currency of Iran between 1825 and 1932. It was subdivided into 20 shahi or 1000 dinar and was worth one tenth of a toman.

Obverse

Al-sultan, ibn al-sultan (Sultan, sun of the sultan) Fath-Ali Shah Qajar.

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (1772–1834) was the second Qajar king (shah) of Persia. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death. His reign saw the forced and irrevocable ceding of Iran's integral northern territories (Caucasian territories), which had made part of its concept for centuries, comprising what is nowadays Georgia, Dagestan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to Imperial Russia following the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813), the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) and the respectively resulting Treaty of Gulistan and Treaty of Turkmenchay.

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar was also known by his second name of Baba Khan, a name he would use until his coronation in 1797. Fath Ali Shah is reported to have had more than 1,000 spouses. He was survived by fifty-seven sons and forty-six daughters, along with 296 grandsons and 292 granddaughters. He is instantly recognizable in all 25 known portraits – mainly due to his immense, deeply black beard, which reached well beneath his narrow waist.

السلطان ابن السلطان فتح علي شاه

Reverse

The mint with its distinguishing epithet (Shiraz the Abode of Knowledge) & date AH1239 (1824AD).

Iranian coins were dated according to the Moslem lunar calendar until March 21, 1925.

ضرب دار العلم شيراز
١٢٣٩

Edge
Characteristics
Production Hammering
Material Silver
Fineness 0.9
Weight 3.45 g
Diameter 20.05 mm
Thickness 1.1 mm
Shape round
Alt # KM# 702.1, KM# 702.2, KM# 702.3, KM# 702.4, KM# 702.5
Mints
Isfahan Mint
Kirman Mint
Qazvin Mint
Shiraz Mint
Tehran Mint

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