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20 Rials Mohammad Rezā Pahlavī
| Issuer | Bank Melli Iran |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948-1951 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in a uniform reddish-brown on white paper, centred on a bold intaglio vignette adapted from the Persepolis bas-reliefs showing a lion attacking a bull, a celebrated motif from the Apadana staircase carvings. The legend 'BANK MELLI IRAN' in Latin characters runs along the upper register within a decorative border of stylised column-head ornaments, while the denomination appears in Persian script at lower left and right margins. |
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| Protection description | Portrait watermark of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. |
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| Comments |
Bank Melli Iran had used Bradbury Wilkinson for earlier series, but Harrison & Sons took over printing duties for this issue — a shift that brought the cleaner intaglio work Harrison was known for through their long relationship with the British Post Office. The P#48 series coincides almost exactly with the period of Mohammad Mosaddegh's rising political influence and the nationalization crisis that would engulf Iran by 1951, meaning later-dated examples from this run were circulating during one of the most turbulent episodes in twentieth-century Iranian politics.
The watermark is the sole concession to security on an otherwise straightforward sheet-fed note.