Iran

Pahlavi-era banknotes featuring Mohammad Reza Shah remain a key reference point, especially issues later modified with revolutionary overprints where the portrait was masked or stamped, creating distinct transitional types sought by collectors. Contemporary notes shift the focus to architectural and cultural landmarks: the 100,000 rials note includes Persepolis with the Tachara Palace, while the Khaju Bridge in Isfahan and the Golestan Palace in Tehran appear across other issues as precise historical anchors.

The 10,000 rials note features the Mausoleum of Saadi in Shiraz, linking the currency to classical Persian poetry. Background structures are densely constructed with arabesque geometry and guilloche patterns that closely resemble Tabriz and Isfahan carpet weaving motifs, integrating textile-inspired design into security printing. Modern issues also introduce the “shadow zero” format, where four zeros are reduced or faded within denominations such as 50,000 and 100,000 rials, reflecting alignment with the toman-based valuation system.