Coins struck at Tabriz
5 catalogued coins and notes attributed to Tabriz, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Timurid & Safavid, Qajar Dynasty.
In short
Tabriz in Azerbaijan was the capital of the Ilkhanids, the Aq Qoyunlu and the early Safavids, and one of the busiest mints in Iranian history — the gateway through which Ottoman, Caucasian and European silver entered the country. Tabriz is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 5 coins and notes struck between 12 CE – 1834 CE. Its output here covers Gold, Silver in the Toman denominations, issued under Baysunghur (Aq Qoyunlu), Shah Ismail I (founder), Jahan Shah and 1 more.
- Catalogued
- 5
- Eras
- 2
- Metals
- 2
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 5 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 12 CE – 1834 CE |
| Eras represented | Timurid & Safavid, Qajar Dynasty |
| Metals | Gold, Silver |
| Denominations | Toman |
| Issuers | Baysunghur (Aq Qoyunlu), Shah Ismail I (founder), Jahan Shah, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar |
| Region | Azerbaijan, north-western Iran |
| Capital of | Ilkhanids, Aq Qoyunlu, early Safavids |
| Products | Ilkhanid dinars, Safavid silver, Afsharid rupees, Qajar krans |
| Special issues | Crown prince presentation coinage |
A frontier capital
Tabriz sits on the road from Anatolia and the Caucasus into Iran, which made it both wealthy and repeatedly contested. Ilkhanid rulers made it their capital in the thirteenth century, Uzun Hasan of the Aq Qoyunlu ruled from it in the fifteenth, and Shah Ismail I proclaimed the Safavid state there in 1501.
The city changed hands with the Ottomans several times in the sixteenth century, and Tabriz coins struck under occupation are a distinct and historically loaded group.
The coinage
Ilkhanid Tabriz produced dinars and dirhams with Mongol-influenced multilingual legends; Aq Qoyunlu and Safavid Tabriz struck silver in fine nastaliq; Afsharid Tabriz issued Nader Shah's couplet rupees; and Qajar Tabriz struck hand-made krans and gold tomans until Tehran took over.
As the seat of the crown prince through the Qajar period, Tabriz also produced presentation and accession pieces that are scarcer and better struck than ordinary circulation silver.
Timurid & Safavid · 1370 – 1736 CE
Era overview →Qajar Dynasty · 1789 – 1925 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Tabriz
- Why was Tabriz an important mint?
- It was the capital of successive dynasties and the main trade gateway from Anatolia and the Caucasus, so it struck coinage almost continuously from the Ilkhanid period to the late Qajars.
- What coins were struck at Tabriz?
- Tabriz is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 5 coins and notes struck between 12 CE – 1834 CE. Its output here covers Gold, Silver in the Toman denominations, issued under Baysunghur (Aq Qoyunlu), Shah Ismail I (founder), Jahan Shah and 1 more.
- How many Tabriz pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 5 items, dated 12 CE – 1834 CE, spread across 2 eras: Timurid & Safavid, Qajar Dynasty.
- Which metals were used for Tabriz coinage?
- Gold, Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Tabriz?
- Toman. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.