Time Period: 1877-1932

Currency: Iranian Qeran


Timeline

  • ??.??.1857
  • AH:??.??.1273
  • Definition of the coin weights:
    - Silver: Qeran at 26 Persian nochud silver 0.900 (Qeran = 4'487.93mg AG fine)
    - Gold: Toman of (nominally) 10 Qeran at 18 Persian Nochud gold 0.990 (Qeran = 341.77mg AU fine).
  • ??.??.1875
  • AH:??.??.1291
  • Reduction of the gold and silver coin weights:
    - Silver: Qeran at 24 Persian nochud silver 0.900 (Qeran = 4'487.93mg AG fine)
    - Gold: Toman of (nominally) 10 Qeran at 17 Persian Nochud gold 0.900 (Qeran = 341.77mg AU fine).
  • ??.??.1879
  • AH:??.??.1295
  • Reduction of the gold coin weights:
    - Silver: Qeran at 24 Persian nochud silver 0.900 (Qeran = 4'487.93mg AG fine)
    - Gold: Toman of (nominally) 10 Qeran at 15 Persian Nochud gold 0.900 (Qeran = 341.77mg AU fine).
  • ??.??.1879
  • AH:??.??.1293
  • Start of issuance of milled conage
  • ??.??.1918
  • AH:??.??.1337
  • Issuance of new gold coins denominated "Ashrafi", weight not known and not released to circulation
  • ??.??.1926
  • SH:??.??.1305
  • Start of issuance of new gold coins denominated "Pahlavi" at 10 Persian nochud gold 0.900 (Pahlewi = 1'726.13mg AU fine), nominally ⅔ Toman = 6⅔ Qeran

Valuation Regimes

  • 1857-1932
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins, additional gold coins without fixed rate against silver. Base weight is the Persian Mishkal / 24 Nokhud at 4.603 grams.


Time Period: 1932-

Currency: Iranian Rial


Timeline

  • 13.05.1930
  • SH:09.03.1309
  • Banking law, transfers the privilege for banknote issuance from the London-based Imperial Bank to the Iranian Melli (National) Bank; effective 21.03.1932 [SH:01.01.1311]
  • 18.03.1930
  • SH:27.12.1308
  • Currency law on the creation of a gold currency pegged to the British Pound at a rate of 1 : 20; not implemented since Great Britain abandoned the gold standard on 21.09.1931
  • 13.03.1932
  • Currency Law on the creation of a gold currency pegged to the British Pound (in gold) at a rate of 1 : 100; effective (without establishing the gold peg) 21.03.1932 [SH:01.01.1311]
  • 03.03.1936
  • Law establishing a Pahlewi gold coin; effective 21.03.1936 [SH:01.01.1315].
  • 21.03.1932
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 21.03.1932: Start of issuance of the new banknotes by the Melli Bank
    - 21.06.1932: Start of withdrawal of former new banknotes by the Imperial Bank
    - 20.09.1932: End of exchange period, demonetization of the banknotes by the Imperial Bank.
  • 1979-1981
  • Banknote exchange after the Islamic Revolution of 11.02.1979:
    - 1979-1981: Issuance of banknote with symbols and Shah's effigy overprinted
    - ??.??.1981: Start of issuance of regular banknotes.

Valuation Regimes

  • 1932-1945
  • Fixed rate against British Pound (inoperative nominal gold parity: 73.22mg AU fine)
  • 1945-1975
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar
  • 1975-1989
  • Fixed rate against IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDR) unit
  • 1989-1991
  • Fixed rate against US Dollar, split into "Competitive", "Preferential" and "Service" rates
  • 1991-2018
  • Variable rate, initially as "Floating" rate within the multi-tier system, unified on 21.03.1993
  • 2018-
  • Fixed official rate against US Dollar, de facto inoperative and replaced by semi-official "Bureau-de-change" variable rate

Rate Arrangements

  • 21.03.1932
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 59.75
  • -
  • 03.03.1936
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 80.25
  • -25.5%
  • 14.05.1942
  • Fixed
  • British Pound at 1 : 129
  • -37.8%
  • 29.12.1945
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 32.25 - [Gold parity (18.12.1946)] 27.56mg AU fine
  • -0.7%
  • 22.05.1957
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 75.75 - [Gold parity] 11.73mg AU fine
  • -57.4%
  • 06.09.1972
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 75.75 - [Gold parity] 10.81mg AU fine
  • ±0.0%
  • 15.02.1973
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 68.175
  • +11.1%
  • 12.02.1975
  • Fixed
  • SDR at 1 : 82.243
  • +2.8%
  • 22.05.1980
  • Fixed
  • SDR at 1 : 92.30
  • -10.9%
  • 08.10.1989
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 1'000 - "Competitive" rate
  • -93.0%
  • 08.10.1989
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 1'000 - "Competitive" rate
  • -93.0%
  • 25.10.1989
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 945 - "Competitive" rate
  • 5.8%
  • 07.12.1989
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 800 - "Competitive" rate
  • 18.1%
  • 21.01.1991
  • Variable
  • initially: US Dollar at 1 : 1400 - "Floating" rate (until 1993)
  • -42.9%
  • 10.04.2018
  • Fixed
  • US Dollar at 1 : 42'000
  • -
  • 07.08.2018
  • Variable
  • initially: US Dollar at 1 : 100'000 - "Bureau-de-change" rate
  • -58.0%


Time Period: 2019-2022

Timeline

  • 31.07.2019
  • SH:09.05.1398
  • Government resolution on a currency reform; not implemented
  • 04.05.2020
  • SH:14.02.1399
  • Revision of the Banking and Monetary act on the implementation of a currency reform within two years; effective immediately
    - New currency: Iranian Toman (Toman / 100 Qeran)
    - Ratio 1 : 10'000.


End-year Forex Rates (Units per US Dollar)