Iran Reference Page | Serial Number Prefixes
There are two major groupings of Prefixes for Iranian Banknotes.
1) Cardinal numbers
From SCWPM No.47 to Yeganeh/Ansari signature (SCWPM Nos.100a, 101b, 102b ... 107b), the prefix number for each note starts from 1 and increments indefinitely. The serial number is a 6-digit number starting from 000,001 and ending with 1,000,000. There is a continuity of prefix numbers on most issues of the same denomination regardless of the changes in design or date. For example, the prefix for SCWPM No.68 is from 1 to 20 and for SCWPM No.71 (which is the next 10-Rial note issued after SCWPM No.68) it is from 21 to 35. With this cardinal numbering system, the replacement notes have a prefix of 01, 02, or 03 and most samples seen are from SCWPM No.100 to 107.
The 100- and 200-Rial banknotes (SCWPM Nos.50, 51, 57, 58 and 62) have 5-digit serial numbers and thus a very high prefix, but the reason for this is not clear. It is possible to speculate that not too many of the high denomination banknotes were expected to be printed, and so a 5-digit serial number was selected. However, the 500- and 1000-Rial notes (SCWPM Nos.52 and 53) have 6 digits.
Notes on Nos. 100 to 107 -- These notes form the last issue of Shah and most denominations have four different signatures listed as a,b,c,d. The first two signatures, 15 and 16, follow the same cardinal numbering system as the previous banknotes of Iran; however, by signature No.17 (Mehran & Yeganeh) in 1975, the prefix is changed to a fractional format. The fractional banknotes were in circulation for about four years until the fall of the Shah in late 1979. It is important to note that the denominator of these fractional banknotes never increased to '2', and the highest fractional prefix seen to date has been 95/1 on the most common denomination of 1000 Rials. This fact is important as we go to the next section which is the Provisional Government and overprints on the existing banknotes of Shah.
2) Fractional Numbers
Starting from the Mehran/Ansari signature, the prefix numbers change from regular numbers (integers) to fractions. The prefix for each note starts from 1/1 and progresses to 99/1 and then from 1/2 to 99/2 and 1/3 to 99/3. For every denomination, the numerator goes from 1 to 99. The serial numbers are again 6 digits from 000,001 to 1,000,000. With the fractional system the replacements notes have a prefix of 99/9 or 98/9.
Due to the short life of these Fractional numbers (1975-79 Mehran Yeganeh and Khoshkish Yeganeh) all the banknotes from the last issue of Shah (SCWPM Nos.100 to 107) have a denominator of 1. (No banknotes in this issue have a prefix like 17/8 or 22/3.) Since all the Shah notes have a prefix with denomination of 1, therefore all the Provisional Government overprinted notes (SCWPM Nos.110 to 126) have a denominator of 1. A close study of the lowest and highest prefix numbers of these notes reveal the very limited quantity of these overprinted notes.
Prefix 1/2 and higher. Prefixes with a denominator of 2 have not been seen on the banknotes without the overprints. P-118b is the first note with a denominator of 2 (8/2 and 15/2 exist). Either these note were printed during Shah's reign as continuation, or it was a new numbering sequence by Thomas de La Rue for the Provisional period.