IRAN, Pahlavis. Reza Shah, AH 1304-1320 / AD 1925-1941. Medal 1934 (Bronze, 80 mm, 12 h), on the meeting between Reza Shah and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara. Uniformed bust of Reza Shah Pahlavi to left, wearing military cap; around, ‘beyādgār-e molāqāt-e aʾlā hazrat homāyūn Rezā Shāh-e Pahlavī shāhanshāh-e Īrān bā hazrat-e qāzī M. Kamāl raʾīs-e jomhūr-e Torkīye’ (‘In commemoration of the visit of His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah Pahlavi, the King of Iran, to His Excellency Gazi M. Kemal, the President of the Turkish Republic’ in Persian); below, ‘Ānkārā 1934’. Rev. İRAN ŞEHİNŞAHI ALA HAZRETİ HUMAYUN RIZA ŞAH PEHLEVİ HAZRETLERİNİN / TÜRKİYE CUMHUR REİSİ GAZİ M. KEMAL HAZRETLERİNİ ZİYARETLERİ HATIRASIDIR. (‘In commemoration of the visit of His Imperial Majesty the King of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi, to the President of the Turkish Republic, His Excellency Gazi M. Kemal’ in Turkish) Draped bust of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to right; below, ‘Ankara – 1934’. Fisekcioglu 25. Very rare. In NGC encapsulation, graded MS 62 BN. Good extremely fine.



From 16 June to 2 July 1934, Reza Shah Pahlavi, accompanied by several high-ranking members of his dynasty, paid an official visit to Turkey. This very rare medal commemorates the event, which held great significance for both countries. In addition to visits to various regions of the then still young Turkish Republic, the meetings between the Shah and the Republic’s founding father, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), took center stage. The Shah openly admired Atatürk’s reforms and the sweeping modernization they brought to Turkey.

Their encounter laid the groundwork for a longer-term cooperation between the two nations, culminating, among other things, in the Non-Aggression Pact of 1937.