The Banknotes of the Imperial Bank of Persia: An Analysis of a Complex System with Catalogue [Hardcover]

The Imperial Bank of Persia, established in 1889, was the first bank to issue banknotes and attempt to establish a modern banking system in Iran. Its banknotes are, in fact, some of the most beautiful and largest notes ever issued for any nation; yet, the story of the Imperial Bank and its notes is complex and complicated because there are very few remaining specimens, especially of the earliest notes and those of higher denominations. This lavishly illustrated and stochastically printed volume showcases the best and rarest of these banknotes while untangling the complex web of branch banks in Iran.Preface by the Editor The Banknotes of the Imperial Bank of Persia The Origins of the Imperial Bank of Persia The Designs and Denominations The Lion-and-Sun Motif The Portrait of Naser al-Din Shah The System of Branch Banks The Issuing of Imperial Bank Notes The Date Stamps The Payable at Stamps The Official Seal of the Government of Persia The Signatures Number of Issued Notes, Prefix Letters, and Serial Numbers The Enigmatic 2nd Series 20 Toman Banknote Placement of the Serial Numbers Canceling and Destroying Notes Robberies and Lost Notes Survival of Imperial Bank of Persia Banknotes Afterword by the Editor References Catalogue Appendix A: Series and Denominations Appendix B: Branch Banks