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Auction: 24038 - The Dr. Martin M Mortazavi Collection of Persian Banknotes
Lot: 76

(x) Bank Melli, Iran, 500 Rials, ND (1938), serial number A/089030,
the front of the banknote features blue and pink colours, Farsi text, and an image of an Achaemenid soldier with a beard and staff, symbolising national pride and historical significance. Central to the front of the banknote is the coat of arms with the crown, sun, lion, and sword. Additionally on the right of the banknote a portrait of Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, is displayed. The back of the banknote showcases a blue design with Farsi text and depicts the Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae. Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire around 550 BCE. The inclusion of the Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae evokes ideas of the legacy of early civilization and serves as a powerful symbol of national pride and historical continuity. The banknote features an orange/red stamp marked SH1320, a watermark of Reza Shah and the signatures of Abdolhossein Hajier and Reza Gholi Amir Khosravi,


(Pick 37d, BNB 131), in PMG holder 63 EPQ Choice Uncirculated, only 1 note in higher grade on PMG Census

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£4,200

Starting price
£550