The Coinage of 2,500th Anniversary of the Persian Empire
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There are countless coins, medals, and other commemorative issues minted in celebration and issued along side events and jubilees. Yet there is one celebration that might just be the most expensive celebratory event ever staged, that of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. This gala event saw the invitation of international leaders and dignitaries to Iran, hosted by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the “King of Kings.”
The costs have never been officially disclosed but estimates for this 1971 celebration estimate that this single event cost over $200 million USD and adjusted for inflation the cost would be about $1.270 billion USD in 2020. For the commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, nine different coins were struck in silver and gold. The silver coins, struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, represent five of the issues each with a mintage of 18,000 examples except for the 200 Rials, which had a mintage of 23,000 pieces.
Full article: https://www.pcgs.com/news/coinage-of-the-most-expensive-party-the-2500th-anniversary-of-the-persian-empire
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Comments
Very interesting article.
I actually have some of this issue in grading right now! (Only the silver ones, not the gold.)