Persian Treasury
Ruler

Coinage of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

8 catalogued issues of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Naser al-Din Shah (r. 1848–1896) ruled Iran for nearly half a century and produced the bulk of surviving Qajar coinage, including the first machine-struck Iranian coins after he installed steam presses at Tehran in 1877. Naser al-Din Shah Qajar issued 8 catalogued coin types dated 19 CE – 1923 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Paper money, Silver, Gold, Copper at Imperial Bank of Persia, Tehran, Herat and 1 more.

Catalogued
8
Eras
1
Metals
4
Denominations
3

Key facts

Key facts about Naser al-Din Shah Qajar in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces8
Date range19 CE – 1923 CE
Eras representedQajar Dynasty
MetalsPaper money, Silver, Gold, Copper
DenominationsToman, Kran, Dinar
MintsImperial Bank of Persia, Tehran, Herat, Tehran (machine-struck)
Reign1848–1896 CE
DynastyQajar
SilverKran ~4.6 g, plus 2 and 5 kran
GoldToman and multiples to 10 tomans
Machine strikingTehran, from 1877

The reign

Naser al-Din's forty-eight years cover the arrival of the telegraph, photography, the first Iranian newspapers and the concession politics that culminated in the Tobacco Protest of 1891. He travelled to Europe three times, and the visual style of his later coinage is a direct result — dies cut in a European idiom by or after Belgian and French engravers.

He was assassinated in 1896 at the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim, and his son Mozaffar al-Din succeeded him.

His coinage

Early issues are hand-struck on irregular flans in the traditional manner: gold tomans and multiples, silver krans, copper fulus, with the Lion and Sun reverse. From 1877 Tehran strikes by machine, giving round flans, milled edges and a consistent 4.6 g kran.

The obverse portrait evolves from a stylised royal presence to a realistic profile bust with the distinctive moustache. Provincial mints — Tabriz, Isfahan, Mashhad, Herat, Yazd — operated in the earlier decades and their coins are scarcer than Tehran output.

Qajar Dynasty · 1789 – 1925 CE

Era overview →

Naser al-Din Shah 1 Toman Banknote (specimen)

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

c. 1890

The smallest denomination of the earliest Iranian banknote series.

Naser al-Din Shah 10 Toman Banknote

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

c. 1890–1923

Mid-range Imperial Bank note; a Tehran-payable 10 toman would not be accepted in Tabriz.

Naser al-Din Shah 25 Toman Banknote (specimen)

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

c. 1890

High-denomination Imperial Bank note — equivalent to a modest annual salary at issue.

Naser al-Din Shah Silver Qiran — Tehran

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

1848–1896 CE

The qiran (1/10 toman) was the workhorse silver coin of Naser al-Din's 48-year reign — the longest of any Qajar shah and the longest of any Iranian monarch until the late 20th century.

Naser al-Din Shah Gold Toman — Tehran

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

1848–1896 CE

Standard one-toman gold piece from the Tehran mint after the 1877 mechanisation. Naser al-Din Shah's three European tours (1873, 1878, 1889) brought back the milling technology and bank-charter ideas that transformed Iranian money.

Naser al-Din Shah 10 Toman Gold

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

Late 19th century

Heavy ceremonial gold piece — among the largest circulating Iranian gold coins of the 19th century. Rare in collectors' hands; struck primarily for royal gifts and bullion reserve.

Naser al-Din Shah Qiran — Herat Mint

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

c. 1856 CE

Issued during the brief Iranian occupation of Herat (1856), which triggered the Anglo-Persian War — by the Treaty of Paris (1857) Iran formally renounced all claims to Herat, ending centuries of Persian sovereignty over the city.

Naser al-Din Shah 50 Dinar Copper

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

1848–1896 CE

Low-denomination copper coin (1/2 shahi = 50 dinar) for everyday market transactions. The 1877 mechanisation finally drove out the old hand-struck 'falus' coppers that had varied wildly between local mints.

Frequently asked about Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

What coins did Naser al-Din Shah issue?
Gold tomans and multiples, silver krans and 2- and 5-kran pieces, and copper fulus — hand-struck until 1877 and machine-struck at Tehran thereafter.
Are Naser al-Din Shah coins rare?
Machine-struck Tehran krans are common and affordable. Early hand-struck issues, provincial mints and gold multiples are considerably scarcer.
What coins did Naser al-Din Shah Qajar issue?
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar issued 8 catalogued coin types dated 19 CE – 1923 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Paper money, Silver, Gold, Copper at Imperial Bank of Persia, Tehran, Herat and 1 more.
How many Naser al-Din Shah Qajar pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
8 items, dated 19 CE – 1923 CE, spread across 1 era: Qajar Dynasty.
Which metals were used for Naser al-Din Shah Qajar coinage?
Paper money, Silver, Gold, Copper. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with Naser al-Din Shah Qajar?
Toman, Kran, Dinar. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were Naser al-Din Shah Qajar coins minted?
Recorded mints include Imperial Bank of Persia, Tehran, Herat, Tehran (machine-struck).

Explore related hubs

Denominations here