Cupro-nickel coinage of Persia and Iran
Modern base-metal circulation coinage of twentieth-century Iran. 4 catalogued examples spanning Pahlavi Dynasty.
In short
Cupro-nickel — roughly 75% copper to 25% nickel — is the circulating alloy of twentieth-century Iran, used for the Pahlavi rial coinage from the 1930s and continued by the Islamic Republic after 1979. Cupro-nickel accounts for 4 of the catalogued Persian and Iranian pieces, spanning 1338 CE – 1979 CE. Modern base-metal circulation coinage of twentieth-century Iran. Denominations struck in this material include Rial, Pahlavi (coin).
- Catalogued
- 4
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 2
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 4 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 1338 CE – 1979 CE |
| Eras represented | Pahlavi Dynasty |
| Metals | Cupro-nickel |
| Denominations | Rial, Pahlavi (coin) |
| Mints | Tehran |
| Issuers | Mohammad Reza Shah |
| Composition | ≈75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Introduced in Iran | Pahlavi rial coinage, 1930s |
| Denominations | 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 rials and later multiples |
| Collecting note | Grade and mintage year drive value, not metal |
From silver to base metal
Reza Shah's 1932 currency reform put Iran on the rial and, within a generation, moved everyday denominations off silver. Cupro-nickel gave a hard, silver-coloured, low-cost blank that machine presses could strike in the millions — the same logic that took Britain off silver in 1947 and the United States off it in 1965.
The alloy carries the political history of the century on its faces: the Pahlavi crown and the shah's profile, then, after 1979, inscriptions, the tulip emblem and shrine architecture in place of any portrait.
Collecting modern base metal
These are the most affordable Iranian coins in existence and the best entry point for a new collector: complete date runs can be assembled cheaply, and the series teaches attribution, date reading in Persian numerals and grading without financial risk.
Value concentrates in the extremes — genuinely uncirculated examples of common dates, low-mintage years, and the transitional issues struck around 1979 when dies and legends were changing. Cupro-nickel does not tone attractively, so brightness and absence of bag marks decide the grade.
Pahlavi Dynasty · 1925 – 1979 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Cupro-nickel
- Are Iranian cupro-nickel coins worth anything?
- Most circulated examples are worth very little intrinsically. Value comes from uncirculated condition, scarce dates and the 1978–1981 transitional issues struck as the state changed.
- Why did Iran stop using silver for coins?
- Because silver's metal value outran the coin's face value. After the 1932 rial reform, cupro-nickel let the mint strike large volumes of durable, silver-coloured circulating coin at low cost.
- What is a Cupro-nickel?
- Cupro-nickel accounts for 4 of the catalogued Persian and Iranian pieces, spanning 1338 CE – 1979 CE. Modern base-metal circulation coinage of twentieth-century Iran. Denominations struck in this material include Rial, Pahlavi (coin).
- How many Cupro-nickel pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 4 items, dated 1338 CE – 1979 CE, spread across 1 era: Pahlavi Dynasty.
- Which metals were used for Cupro-nickel coinage?
- Cupro-nickel. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Cupro-nickel?
- Rial, Pahlavi (coin). Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
- Where were Cupro-nickel coins minted?
- Recorded mints include Tehran.