Coins struck at Khoy
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Khoy, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Afsharid & Zand.
In short
Khoy in Azerbaijan was one of the provincial mints of the Zand period, striking the gold and silver of Karim Khan — the ruler who governed Iran for thirty years while refusing the title of shah. Khoy is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 1751 CE – 1779 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the principal denominations, issued under Karim Khan Zand.
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 0
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 1751 CE – 1779 CE |
| Eras represented | Afsharid & Zand |
| Metals | Gold |
| Issuers | Karim Khan Zand |
| Region | Azerbaijan, north-western Iran |
| Dynasty | Zand, 1751–1794 |
| Ruler's title | Vakil al-ra'aya, not shah |
| Scarcity | Provincial Zand gold is rare |
Zand coinage without a king
Karim Khan called himself vakil al-ra'aya, 'deputy of the people', and his coinage reflects that constitutional fiction: legends invoke religious authority and the Zand name rather than royal titulature.
Provincial mints such as Khoy, Tabriz and Shiraz struck to a common standard, and the mint name plus date is the primary attribution axis for the series.
Scarcity and market
The Zand period is short — roughly 1751 to 1794 — and provincial gold is genuinely scarce. Khoy gold in particular appears infrequently, and well-struck examples with full legends are rare enough to be event pieces at auction.
Silver is more available and provides an affordable route into a dynasty whose reputation for good government makes it disproportionately popular with Iranian collectors.
Afsharid & Zand · 1736 – 1796 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Khoy
- Why doesn't Karim Khan call himself shah on his coins?
- He ruled as vakil al-ra'aya, 'deputy of the people', nominally on behalf of a Safavid claimant, and his coin legends avoid royal titulature accordingly.
- Are Zand coins rare?
- Silver is obtainable; gold, especially from provincial mints such as Khoy, is scarce because the dynasty lasted barely four decades.
- What coins were struck at Khoy?
- Khoy is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 1751 CE – 1779 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the principal denominations, issued under Karim Khan Zand.
- How many Khoy pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 1751 CE – 1779 CE, spread across 1 era: Afsharid & Zand.
- Which metals were used for Khoy coinage?
- Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.