TEHRAN — A rare collection of coins has recently been donated to the Astan-e Qods Razavi Museum in Mashhad by collector Jafar Asadi.

The collection contains over 200 silver and copper coins belonging to various epochs including the Safavid, Afsharid, Qajar, Pahlavi eras and also some contemporary coins, said the head of the museum.

Mohammad-Baqer Kafshdar-Tusi noted that the coins, minted in the cities of Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd, Isfahan, and Tehran, narrate the evolution of coinage in Iran through the ages.

“The oldest item in the collection is a silver coin minted in Tabriz during the dynasty of Shah Abbas Safavi. On one side it bears the name of the twelve Imams and the other side is inscribed with a piece of poetry,” he added.

“There are also some particularly noteworthy coins which bear the words “Holy Mashhad” and “Mashhad of Imam”, and these are of great significance,” Kafshdar-Tusi stated.

He remarked that the oldest coin in the museum’s possession is one dating back to King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.

It is opportune to announce that the Astan-e Qods Razavi library is currently holding an exhibition of rare copies of the Holy Quran, and this event will continue until October 4.

The Astan-e Qods Razavi Library and Museum are adjacent to the holy shrine of Imam Reza