Coins struck at Bank Melli Iran
3 catalogued coins and notes attributed to Bank Melli Iran, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Pahlavi Dynasty.
In short
Bank Melli Iran, founded in 1927 as the country's first state bank, held the note-issuing privilege from 1930 to 1960 and printed the rial notes that carried Reza Shah's currency reform into circulation. Bank Melli Iran is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 3 coins and notes struck between 1317 CE. Its output here covers Paper money in the Rial denominations, issued under Reza Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi.
- Catalogued
- 3
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 3 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 1317 CE |
| Eras represented | Pahlavi Dynasty |
| Metals | Paper money |
| Denominations | Rial |
| Issuers | Reza Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Note issue | 1930–1960 |
| Currency reform | Rial replaces toman as legal unit, 1932 |
| Printers | British, German and American security printers |
Nationalising the note issue
Transferring issue from a British-chartered bank to a national institution was a deliberate act of monetary sovereignty, completed in 1930 alongside the 1932 reform that replaced the toman with the rial as the legal unit of account.
Bank Melli notes are dated in the Solar Hijri calendar and printed abroad — first in Britain, later in Germany and the United States — which is why paper, watermark and printing style shift noticeably between series.
Series and collecting
The Reza Shah portrait notes of the 1930s, the wartime issues, and the Mohammad Reza Shah series of the 1940s–1950s form three distinct collecting groups. Wartime scarcity and Allied occupation left several short and irregular printings that are hard to complete.
Condition drives value sharply: Iranian paper of this period circulated hard in a cash economy, so crisp examples of even common denominations are uncommon.
Pahlavi Dynasty · 1925 – 1979 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Bank Melli Iran
- When did Bank Melli issue banknotes?
- Between 1930, when the Imperial Bank's monopoly ended, and 1960, when the newly created Bank Markazi took over the note issue.
- Are Bank Melli notes valuable?
- Common denominations in circulated grade are affordable; early Reza Shah portrait notes, wartime printings and any crisp uncirculated example carry a substantial premium.
- What coins were struck at Bank Melli Iran?
- Bank Melli Iran is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 3 coins and notes struck between 1317 CE. Its output here covers Paper money in the Rial denominations, issued under Reza Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi.
- How many Bank Melli Iran pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 3 items, dated 1317 CE, spread across 1 era: Pahlavi Dynasty.
- Which metals were used for Bank Melli Iran coinage?
- Paper money. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Bank Melli Iran?
- Rial. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.