Iran SH1308 5000 dinars
This specimen was lot 33321 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2024), where it sold for $660. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRAN. 5000 Dinars, SH 1308 (1929). Reza Shah. PCGS MS-64. This frosty near-Gem presents soft, velvety luster throughout its sharp strike. Mostly muted gray in color save for a stately arc of iridescent color that embellishes the reverse extremities." The Qajar empire was nearly bankrupt by the end of the 1800’s, and the dynasty finally fell when Reza Khan, a commander of the Persian Cossack Brigade, led a coup d’etat and launched the Pahlavi Dynasty in 1925 AD. This type was struck SH1306-1308 but is seldom seen. Among other reforms, the traditional AH calendar, based on lunar months, was dropped in favor of the SH calendar, which matched the Gregorian calendar except that its start date was that of the Hegira.
Recorded mintage: 584,000.
Specification: 23.02 g, 0.900 fine silver, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: Dav-294; KM-1106.
- 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, May 2024 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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