AN OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE SAFAVID ERA ON THE BASIS OF SILVER COINS, CASE STUDY: SHAH ABBAS II AND SULTAN HUSSEIN

Abstract

Safavid era is one of the important periods in the history of Iran at the Islamic period. In the Safavid peri- od, trade and particularly foreign trade was highly developed due to the established security on the roads. Silk was one of the goods that received attention in foreign trade cycle. As a result, a great number of mer- chants traveled to Iran in this period, and this led to an economic boom in this period. In the Safavid era, gold, silver, and copper coins were minted, but silver coins were used in trade exchanges. In this study, the total of 13 silver coins belonging to the mid and late Safavid era (Shah Abbas II, Shah Sultan Hussein) was analyzed using PIXE method. This study is an attempt to figure out the economic situation of the Safavid period. The amount of silver used in the coins pertaining to Shah Abbas II represents a good grade of the coins belonging to the king. In the reign of Sultan Hussein, coins were of very high grade despite the unde- sired political and social conditions of the country.