SHIRAZ, QAJAR IRAN, FIRST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY WITH LATER MOUNTS

The uniform nature of these coins suggests that they have been deliberately selected for inclusion of this belt: they all are coins of the same type, with matching inscriptions, and all struck in the mint of Shiraz. Moreover, they are identically mounted upright and with the obverse on the outside. Though the obverse of each coin is in very good condition, with a crisp legible inscription, the reverses are more rubbed, suggesting that this belt has been worn. All of this suggests that when these coins were mounted the owner intended not only to draw attention to their value in terms of gold, but also their antiquarian significance as a relic from the reign of Fath 'Ali Shah, possibly in a nostalgic gesture to the 'golden age' of Qajar rule.