Coins From Persia/Iran?
psychump
Posts: 1,378 ✭✭✭
Hello, I am mostly a 1963 Topps baseball collector but picked up a bag of coins at a garage sale and these were among mostly wheat pennies. I am having trouble figuring out what I have. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks,Jim
I ended up reading a bunch of discussions...fascinating!
Tallulah Bankhead — 'There have been only two geniuses in the world. Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare.'
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That's Pavlavi from Iran and his royal lion crest. IMO. Peace Roy
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Wow! You got a major score with those - they're gold! If they're real, obviously. The first one looks like a ½ Pahlavi and the second looks like some kind of Azadi - if it's the same size as the other one it's the ½ Azadi. I can't read Persian and the pictures are a bit blurry so I can't be sure of the denomination, but that size of coin has an actual gold weight of 0.1177 troy ounces, which is about $150 worth of gold at today's prices. Apparently they actually circulate in Iran as part of dowry payments and now rent, because sanctions make the official currency shaky. There was a sad story about them recently as the authorities executed a dealer who was apparently hoarding them and manipulating the currency market.
Where did you find these, hidden in a bag of wheat pennies or something? There's a lesson for you - make sure you know where your valuables are, and make sure you know what you're selling.
The original packaging is interesting and the fact they are gold is exceptional. I never find anything in a wheat penny lot except corrosion!
Thank you for your great knowledge. They are heavy so I believe they are gold. Cursive gave some good info so I guess they are 1/4 Pahlavi and 1/2 Azadi. The pahlavi was loose in a pill bottle with Buffalo nickels, some mercury dimes and wheat pennies. The Azadi was paperclipped inside a 1943 steel penny set.
Nice score then! Someone was salting their stash...
Yes they look pretty sweet. But as a top seller on eBay I am not allowed to sell these as they are an embargoed item. Still I see a bunch of Iranian gold coins for sale there. They said they are protecting my status! Bah. They for sale here then.