Iran - (P 162) 5 Toman = 50 000 Rials (2021) - UNC

In 2021, the Central Bank of Iran introduced new 5 toman notes, equivalent to 50,000 rials. The obverse side - like many other Iranian banknotes - features a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. In addition to being a symbol of national pride and religious authority, Iranians are also following the traditional iconography of currency, with Khomeini's likeness adorning much of the country's life.

The Toman was historically used in Iran before the official introduction of the rial, but currently the rial is still formally the main currency. Banknotes in "tomman" are, however, a practical move by the Iranian government that, among other things, reflects the everyday habits of the population - indeed, most Iranians refer to prices and amounts in tomman, not rials, in everyday speech.

The new edition of banknotes thus seeks to simplify the monetary system, facilitate payments and make the Iranian currency identical. The Ayatollah Khomeini remains on Iranian banknotes a distinctive revolution and a symbol of the state's continuity of the Islamic legacy, even as Iran works to modernize its financial system.