Benchmark gold coin Azadi hit a 16-month high on Wednesday, as increased demand for a hedge drove up gold prices. Azadi hit 10,430,000 rials by 14:30 GMT, up 0.72 percent for the day as gold clung to sharp overnight gains on Wednesday, trading close to a five-month high as worries over the global economy and uncertainty over European Central Bank stimulus measures pushed investors towards the safe-haven metal.