Iran 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 5, and 10 Rials 1892 to 1936

The Lion and Sun, or Shir-o-khorshid, is one of the better-known emblems of Iran, and between 1423 and 1979 was an element in Iran's national flag. The motif, which combines ancient Iranian, Arab, Turkish, Mongol and Jewish traditions, became a popular symbol in Iran in the 12th century. -- wikipedia

These are popular collectible coins made of silver. There are many coins that look the same, that is, they have the lion, saber, and sun pattern, but they are not made out of silver. This page applies to the silver coins. Click to this page if you have a coin made of bronze. Here are the stats with the date (see below), diameter, and net silver content in troy ounces:

1/4 RIAL, 1315: 15 mm diameter, 0.033 troy ounces silver
1/2 RIAL, 1310 to 1315: 18 mm diameter, 0.066 ounces silver
1 RIAL, 1310 to 1313: 22 mm diameter, 0.133 ounces silver
1 RIAL, 1322 to 1330: 18 mm diameter, 0.031 ounces silver
2 RIAL, 1310 to 1313: 26 mm diameter, 0.266 ounces silver
2 RIAL, 1322 to 1330: 22 mm diameter, 0.062 ounces silver
5 RIAL, 1310 to 1313: 15 mm diameter, 0.033 ounces silver
5 RIAL, 1322 to 1329: 26 mm diameter, 0.154 ounces silver
10 RIAL, 1323 to 1326: 31 mm diameter, 0.309 ounces silver

The base value of these coins will be the silver weigth multiplied by the current value of silver. Use a web site such as kitco.com to get the current value. It changes every day. Today, silver is at $21.76 US dollars per troy ounce. A 10 rial coin, then, contains 0.309 x 21.76 = $6.72 US dollars of silver.

You can figure out the date on these coins using these eastern Arabic numerals. The coin in our picture is dated 1313. The date appears on the side without the lion, at the bottom, opposite the crown. The denomination, e.g., 1, 5, 10 rials, also uses these eastern numerals at the center of the side without the lion, so our picture shows a 1 rial coin.

The date itself is an SH (solar Hejira) date, which is based on the life of Muhammed. To get the AD (Gregorian) date, add 621 to the SH date. In other words:

AD date = SH date + 621

For the 1313 coin, the AD date is 1934.

Be careful that your coin is made of silver. Most of the time this is obvious from the color of the coin, but some later coins are minted in copper-nickel, which can be easily confused with silver. If your coin carries a date outside the ranges given above, it is not made of silver.

Once you have mastered the denomination and dating, you are ready to check for *better date* coins which are worth more than the standard silver value. Here is a list of catalog values for these coins, with the *better dates* called out separately.

1/4 RIAL (dated SH1315)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $7
fully uncirculated: $12

1/2 RIAL (dated SH1310 to 1315)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $5
well preserved: $10
fully uncirculated: $30
coins dated SH1311 catalog at $35 in average circulated condition

1 RIAL (dated SH1310 to 1313)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $5
well preserved: $12
fully uncirculated: $35

1 RIAL (dated SH1322 to 1330)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $5
fully uncirculated: $8
coins dated 1326 and 1329 catalog at $40 in average circulated condition

2 RIALS (dated SH1310 to 1313)
worn: $4 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $8
well preserved: $18
fully uncirculated: $35

2 RIALS (dated SH1322 to 1330)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $5
fully uncirculated: $10
coins dated 1326 and 1329 catalog at $70 in average circulated condition

5 RIALS (dated SH1310 to 1313)
worn: $8 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $14
well preserved: $20
fully uncirculated: $40

5 RIALS (dated SH1322 to 1329)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $5
fully uncirculated: $10
coins dated 1326 and 1329 catalog at $90 in average circulated condition

10 RIALS (dated SH1323 to 1326: minted in silver)
worn: $8 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $12
well preserved: $16
fully uncirculated: $30
coins dated 1326 catalog for $180 in average circulated condition

10 RIALS (dated SH1335 to 1344: mintd in copper-nickel)
worn: $2 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $5
fully uncirculated: $8
coins dated 1341 catalog at $60 in average circulated condition
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