2018-10-08 Mon

The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran, often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history. The Safavid Shahs ruled over one of the Gunpowder Empires. They established the Twelver school of Shia Islam as the official religion of the empire.

Shah Ismail was the founder of the Safavid dynasty, ruling from 1501 to 1524AD. The rule of Ismail is one of most vital in the history of Iran. During the reign he issued various coins in gold and silver. These coins are found in the denomination of Shahi, Ashrafi, Mithqal and Tanka.

Depicted here is a silver half Shahi of Ismail I. The Persian legend "Zarb Qandaha 90x" within pentagonal cartouche and "al-sultan el-'adil el-hadi al-wali abul' muzaffar shah isma'il bahadur khan es-safawi khallad Allah mulkahu wa sultanahu" within margin inscribed on the obverse of a coin. The reverse of a coin showed the Shiite Kalima ‘La Ilaha Illahu Muhammadur Rasulullah Ali Waliullah’ and names of Bara Imams (12 Imamas).

Image Source: Classical Numismatic Gallery