Lot 903
Iran (Persia)). 10 Kran - 1 Toman, AH 1301 / 1884 AD. (Tehran?). Dav-286; KM-917. 45.85 grams. Nasir al-Din Shah, 1848-1896. Draped bust of Shah, three-quarters frontal, wearing large medal and high-peaked hat with aigrette; laureate border around. Reverse: Four lines of script, plus date, within inner circle; flanking laurel and oak sprays, crown above, royal lion below. Plain edge. Superlative strike for a Persian coin (thought by Davenport to have been minted in Brussels). Lustrous devices on mirror fields. Well cared for, as the marks are light and evenly dispersed. Lightly toned, with deeper golds or russets in the recesses. Among the finest seen on the market in many years. NGC graded MS-62.
This the largest silver coin of modern Iran, with an identical mate to it, but struck in gold. While placed by Davenport as a coin of the realm, technically its chance of actually seeing circulation was virtually nil. Davenport considers them "a largesse piece coined in Brussels(?)." In essence, its economic power resided in its function of buying loyalty.
Estimated Value $4,000 - 5,000.
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| Realized $18,975 |
