Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
The Coinage Reforms of Shah Abbas the Great
In the early 1600s, Shah Abbas I overhauled the Safavid monetary system, minting new coins that stabilized the economy and projected his power. This episode follows the story of the rial, the 'Abbasi, and the mints of Isfahan and Tabriz — how a ruler's face on a coin became a tool of legitimacy in a Shia empire. Along the way, we meet the Italian traveler Pietro Della Valle, who watched these coins change hands in the bazaars, and the French gem merchant Jean Chardin, who later described their purity. We look at the practical side: how a copper shortage sparked riots, how the Shah's minters…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.