Coins
Sale: L09447 | Location: London, New Bond Street
Auction Dates: Session 2: Thu, 14 Oct 99 2:00 PM
LOT 393
* Qajar, Agha Muhammad Khan (1193-1212; 1779-97), six
coin set of presentation gold coins, struck at Tehran,
1210/1211, comprising:
200,000—250,000 GBP
Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 528,000 GBP
DESCRIPTION
* Qajar, Agha
Muhammad Khan (1193-1212; 1779-97), six coin set of
presentation gold coins, struck at Tehran, 1210/1211,
comprising:
i. Rectangular 50 tomans, Dar al-Saltanat Tihran 1210, ya
Muhammad and ya 'Ali above and below the Shi'a kalima
inscribed within central circle, rev., al-Mulk lillah and
the date 1210 above and below mint name in central square
frame, 401.41 g. (Rabino pl. 42, 30), minor edge marks,
extremely fine
ii. Pictorial 20 tomans, Dar al-Saltanat Tihran 1210,
Lion and Sun; on face of sun, ya Muhammad; below, ya
'Ali, rev., al-Mulk lillah and the date 1210 above and
below mint name, 162.58 g. (Rabino pl. 42, 33), extremely
fine
iii. Pictorial 20 tomans, Dar al-Saltanat Tihran 1210,
Peacock in splendour; on breast, ya Muhammad, rev.,
al-Mulk lillah and the date 1210 above and below mint
name, 162.23 g. (Rabino pl. 42, 32), good very fine
iv. 10 tomans, Dar al-Saltanat Tihran 1210, Shi'a kalima
in three lines, rev., al-Mulk lillah and the date 1210
above and below mint name, 80.51 g., extremely fine
v. 20 tomans, Dar al-Saltanat Tihran 1211, Shi'a kalima
in three lines, rev., al-Mulk lillah and the date 1210
above and below mint name, 162.08 g. (Rabino pl. 42, 34),
good very fine
vi. 10 tomans, Dar al-Saltanat Tihran 1211, Shi'a kalima
in three lines, rev., al-Mulk lillah and the date 1210
above and below mint name, 81.19 g. (Rabino pl. 42, 35),
extremely fine
The six coins contained in an old blue velvet-lined and
fitted case, extremely rare and a set of exceptionally
high quality (see colour plate and back cover of
catalogue)
The coins of 1210 were probably made as presentation
pieces to celebrate the coronation of the first Qajar
shah, Agha Mohammad Khan and it would seem likely that
the 20 and 10 tomans of 1211 were issued to commemorate
the first anniversary of his reign.
These massive gold coins formed part of the indemnity of
5 krur or 2500000 tomans paid by Persia to the Russians
under the Treaty of Turkmanchai, in 1828, following the
disastrous war. None of these coins are believed to exist
in Iran and all the presently recorded examples have
emanated from Russia. 5 krur would have weighed just over
two metric tons and contemporary reports state that it
took some 1600 mules to carry the specie. The treaty also
ceded the Khanates of Erivan and Nakhichvan to Russia in
perpetuity as well as forbidding the Persians to have any
armed vessels in the Caspian sea.
Six coin sets similar to the present one were presented
by Czar Nicholas I to the Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau and
Frederick VI of Denmark. The only set in a British
institution is the Anhalt Dessau group, bequeathed to the
Ashmolean Museum by Sir Bernard Eckstein in 1948 and
recently displayed at the London exhibition of 'Royal
Persian Painting: The Qajar Epoch, 1795-1925' (catalogue
no. 100). It differs slightly from the present set in
that the 10 tomans of AH 1210 is from Isfahan rather than
Tehran.
On the death of Karim Khan in 1779, Agha Mohammad, Qajar
chief of Astrabad was one of the contenders for the
vacant throne. He escaped from imprisonment in Shiraz and
fled to Mazandaran to gather his supporters. He was
captured and later barbarously mutilated by Adil Shah.
Afterwards he managed to rejoin his followers and ruled
over parts of Persia until 1795 when he defeated Luft Ali
Khan, last of the Zand shahs, at Kirman.
From then on he was absolute master of the kingdom.
On the occasion of his coronation in 1796 he girded the
sword consecrated at the tomb of the founder of the
Safavid dynasty thus firmly pledging himself to uphold
the Shi'ite faith. He was murdered in 1797 by his
personal attendants - men who were under sentence of
death but allowed to be at large. He was succeeded by his
nephew Fath 'Ali Shah.
In spite of cruel and difficult times, Agha Muhammad
founded a dynasty that was to rule Persia for a century
and a quarter and he firmly established the Shi'ite faith
as the official religion.
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