Copper coinage of Persia and Iran
Copper small change — the fulus and falus of daily marketplace transactions. 1 catalogued example spanning Qajar Dynasty.
In short
Copper fulus were the small change of Islamic Iran — struck locally, revalued by decree, and, unusually for Islamic coinage, often decorated with animals, zodiac signs and figural designs that religious convention kept off gold and silver. Copper accounts for 1 of the catalogued Persian and Iranian pieces, spanning 1848 CE – 1896 CE. Copper small change — the fulus and falus of daily marketplace transactions. Denominations struck in this material include Dinar.
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 1848 CE – 1896 CE |
| Eras represented | Qajar Dynasty |
| Metals | Copper |
| Denominations | Dinar |
| Mints | Tehran (machine-struck) |
| Issuers | Naser al-Din Shah Qajar |
| Denomination | Fals / fulus (plural) |
| Weight | Highly variable, typically 2–8 g |
| Distinctive feature | Figural and zodiac designs |
| Value | Mostly inexpensive; figural types carry premiums |
Local money with local rules
Unlike gold and silver, copper was a municipal affair. Towns struck their own fulus, weights vary wildly within a single issue, and the coins were periodically demonetised and re-tariffed, which is why so many are overstruck on earlier pieces.
That local freedom produced the most visually inventive Islamic coinage: lions, bulls, fish, peacocks, horsemen and full zodiac cycles appear on Iranian copper of the Seljuq, Ilkhanid, Safavid and Qajar periods.
Condition and patina
Copper survives badly. Expect pitting, encrustation and green corrosion products; a smooth, even brown or dark green patina is the ideal and should be left untouched. Bright, stripped copper surfaces are a defect, not a cleaning success.
Active bronze disease — powdery light-green spots that spread — is the one condition that requires intervention, and it needs a conservator rather than household chemistry.
Qajar Dynasty · 1789 – 1925 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Copper
- What is a fals?
- A fals (plural fulus) is the copper small-change coin of the Islamic world, struck locally with widely variable weights and frequently overstruck on earlier pieces.
- Why do Islamic copper coins show animals?
- Copper was locally issued and not bound by the epigraphic conventions of state gold and silver, so mints used lions, bulls, horsemen and zodiac figures freely.
- What is a Copper?
- Copper accounts for 1 of the catalogued Persian and Iranian pieces, spanning 1848 CE – 1896 CE. Copper small change — the fulus and falus of daily marketplace transactions. Denominations struck in this material include Dinar.
- How many Copper pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 1848 CE – 1896 CE, spread across 1 era: Qajar Dynasty.
- Which metals were used for Copper coinage?
- Copper. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Copper?
- Dinar. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
- Where were Copper coins minted?
- Recorded mints include Tehran (machine-struck).