Iran SH1324 pahlavi Fr-97
This specimen was lot 38812 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $960. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRAN. Pahlavi, SH 1324 (1945). Tehran Mint. Muhammad Reza Pahlavi. NGC MS-65. Legend obverse. From the Yasmin Collection." When Reza Shah seized the throne in 1925, he adopted the solar Hegira calendar, which used the Gregorian calendar but deducted 621 years. Thus, SH 1324 = 1945 AD. In 1931 the system was reformed and 100 dinars = one rial. This type was struck SH 1320-1324 for the young shah, Reza Shah having been forced into exile for being too cozy with the Nazis. The pahlavi matched the British sovereign in gold content. As the pahlavi was always sold at its gold price, it had no fixed ratio to the rial.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 8.13 g, 0.900 fine gold, 22 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-97; KM-1148.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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