{"product_id":"middle-east-ne-circulated-paper-type-116174-5000000-r-light-yellow-cancelled-punched-copy","title":"Middle East NE Cheque\/Check (Cancelled)—Type 116174—5000000 Rials—Yellow","description":"\u003cp\u003eCancelled bank cheque which \u003cstrong\u003ecirculated like currency\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColors: yellow, ochre\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePictured: a Symbol of Authority\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe architectural vignette depicts the historic headquarters of Bank Melli Iran, located on Ferdowsi Street in central Tehran. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonumental early 20th-century institutional architecture, associated with the founding phase of Iran’s modern banking system\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrong vertical massing with recessed arches and geometric window bays\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStylized rather than perfectly literal rendering—cleaned lines, symmetrical emphasis, and idealized proportions typical of Iranian cheque-note design\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFunctions visually as a symbol of \u003cstrong\u003estate finance and institutional authority\u003c\/strong\u003e, rather than a specific lived urban scene\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDesign and Colors\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesign character\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere the lower denominations feel aqueous and bureaucratic, this one shifts into something warmer—almost archival, like a document that has already aged the moment it was printed. The gold field suggests value without using metallic ink, while the building sits inside its circular frame like a commemorative seal. Then the system breaks: blue ink signatures slash across the surface, stamps land slightly off-axis, and the red thread cuts straight through it all. It’s a negotiation between authority and use—between something issued with ceremony and something handled, signed, and pushed through a desk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary palette:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDominant \u003cstrong\u003egolden ochre \/ warm yellow field\u003c\/strong\u003e, shifting from pale parchment tones to deeper amber\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFine horizontal linework creates a subtle \u003cstrong\u003eaged-paper effect\u003c\/strong\u003e, especially in the upper fields\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecondary tones:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoft \u003cstrong\u003ebeige and cream underlayers\u003c\/strong\u003e, giving the note a warmer, almost archival character compared to the cooler denominations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLight olive undertones in guilloché areas, adding depth without breaking palette cohesion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccent structure:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVertical \u003cstrong\u003ered security thread segments\u003c\/strong\u003e, sharply contrasting with the warm background\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlue ink signatures and stamps\u003c\/strong\u003e, cutting across the composition with strong chromatic dissonance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlack serial numbers\u003c\/strong\u003e at the base, grounding the design with mechanical precision\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrnamental system:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDense \u003cstrong\u003eguilloché rosette at center\u003c\/strong\u003e, rendered in warm yellow linework with radial symmetry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRight-side column of repeating \u003cstrong\u003e“5 000 000” numerals\u003c\/strong\u003e, forming a structured numeric lattice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFloral corner elements and scrollwork in fine-line engraving, slightly darker than the base field for legibility\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColor hierarchy:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGolden ochre (dominant identity field)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeige \/ cream (structural depth)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOlive-tinted guilloché (texture layer)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRed (security interruption)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue (human intervention: signatures, stamps)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlack (machine-readable elements)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Melli Cheques, and Iran Cheques Issued by Commercial Banks\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the late 1990s and early 2000s, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIran\u003c\/a\u003e found itself in an awkward monetary moment. \u003cstrong\u003ePrices were rising\u003c\/strong\u003e quickly, but the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCentral Bank\u003c\/a\u003e had \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c\/strong\u003e yet issued \u003cstrong\u003every high-denomination banknotes\u003c\/strong\u003e. Introducing new notes was not just a technical matter of design and printing; it carried political weight. Large denominations are read by the public as an admission that \u003cstrong\u003e\"inflation has become permanent\"\u003c\/strong\u003e. For that reason, approvals were cautious and often slow, involving both the central bank and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Islamic_Consultative_Assembly\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eParliament\u003c\/a\u003e, where there was reluctance to \u003cstrong\u003evisibly normalize inflation\u003c\/strong\u003e by putting million-rial figures into everyday wallets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guaranteed_cheque\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGuaranteed cheques\u003c\/a\u003e offered a quieter workaround. Issued by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Melli_Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Melli Iran\u003c\/a\u003e and other banks, they were classified as banking instruments rather than \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Legal_tender\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elegal-tender\u003c\/a\u003e banknotes. This distinction mattered. A cheque could be framed as a practical tool for moving large sums—temporary, transactional, and reversible—rather than as a public statement about the currency itself. Designing them was not necessarily faster than engraving banknotes, but they required far fewer political approvals and avoided the symbolic moment of announcing a new denomination to the public. In practice, they filled the gap that official banknotes had not yet crossed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor people on the ground, the experience was simple. A Bank Melli guaranteed cheque could be withdrawn from a branch and passed directly from hand to hand to pay for a car, settle a wholesale deal, or close a property transaction. As long as the cheque kept circulating, it usually remained \u003cstrong\u003eunpunched and unstamped\u003c\/strong\u003e, aside from signatures or handwritten notes. The familiar holes, cancellation stamps, and bank markings typically appeared \u003cstrong\u003eonly at the end of its life\u003c\/strong\u003e, when someone finally deposited it, redeemed it for cash, or when banks cleared and retired it internally. At that point it was marked to prevent reuse, then normally destroyed—one reason surviving examples are so scarce today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir denominations—from \u003cstrong\u003e200,000 to 5,000,000 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iranian_rial\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003erials\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e—capture a moment when everyday economic life had already outgrown the official banknote structure, and the banking system quietly improvised a solution. For collectors, the wear, punches, and stamps are not flaws but evidence: these cheques were handled, trusted, and used as money until the moment they finally returned to the banking system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIdentifying Bank and Series on an Iran Cheque or Melli Cheque\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe series and bank of issuance for Melli Cheques and the multibank Iran cheques can be identified by the first six numbers of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Magnetic_ink_character_recognition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMICR\u003c\/a\u003e line (the line printed at the bottom of the cheque towards the left). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote that this does not apply to\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eBank Melli Griffin series which bears serial numbers and no MICR line\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eIran Cheques since 2008 which are issued by the \u003c\/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eCentral Bank of Iran\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition 1, 2, 3: cheque series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGriffin series: none (no MICR line)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIran Cheque 2nd Issue: 112\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMelli Cheque 116\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePositions 4 and 5: bank\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e12 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Mellat\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Mellat\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e13 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Refah\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Refah\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e14 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Maskan\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Maskan\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e15 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Sepah\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Sepah\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e16 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Agricultural_Bank_of_Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Keshavarzi (Agricultural Bank)\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e17 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Melli_Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Melli Iran\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e18 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Tejarat\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Tejarat\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e19 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_Saderat_Iran\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank Saderat Iran\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e20 Bank Tuseh-e Saderat e Iran\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition 6: denomination\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e0 — 200,000 rials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 — 500,000 rials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 — 1,000,000 rials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 — 2,000,000 rials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 — 5,000,000 rials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51926194356535,"sku":"IRC116174","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/116174BankMelli5_000_000rials.jpg?v=1775677904","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/middle-east-ne-circulated-paper-type-116174-5000000-r-light-yellow-cancelled-punched-copy","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}