tomans

Tomans are a historical and informal monetary unit used in Iran. A toman is equal to ten rials, and while the rial is the official currency unit, the toman remains widely used in everyday speech, especially for pricing and accounting in informal contexts. In practice, prices quoted in tomans are understood as ten times their rial value.

Historically, the term and concept date from Iran’s earlier monetary practices, with widespread use in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1932 Iran formalized its currency system by establishing the rial as the base unit and decimalizing the currency, but the toman persisted as a convenient, nonofficial unit. The distinction between tomans and rials has persisted into the modern era, largely as a matter of convention rather than law.

In contemporary Iran, the official currency is the rial (IRR), and all official transactions, government accounting, and most financial instruments use rials. However, many retailers, marketplaces, and financial platforms still display prices in tomans. To convert, multiply the number of tomans by 10 to obtain rials, and similarly divide rials by 10 to express them in tomans. This dual usage can lead to confusion, especially in online and cross-border contexts.

Etymologically, toman derives from Persian and has been adopted into English-language discussions of Iranian currency as a convenient shorthand for ten rials. Today, the toman continues to appear in journalism, commerce, and everyday talk, even as the rial remains the formal unit. See also: Iranian rial, Banknote and coin issuance in Iran.