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1/2 Escudo - João V Lisboa, Bahia, Rio and Minas mints
| Issuer | Portuguese Crown |
|---|---|
| Year | 1722-1750 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of King João V facing right, wearing a flowing periwig with elaborate curls cascading over the shoulders, rendered in high relief in the Baroque style. The legend IOANNES V D G PORT ET ALG REX encircles the effigy along the periphery in Roman capitals, separated by pellets. The date appears in the lower field below the bust truncation, flanked by the milled border. The overall portrait conveys the regal authority characteristic of early eighteenth-century Portuguese royal coinage. |
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| Edge | Rope-shaped |
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| Additional information |
João V's gold coinage reform of 1722 standardized fractional escudo production across multiple colonial and metropolitan mints simultaneously — an administrative ambition rarely attempted in Portuguese monetary history. The Bahia and Rio mints in particular were operating under constant logistical strain, dependent on freshly refined Brazilian gold that moved through the interior in mule trains before reaching the coastal houses.
The proliferation of Gomes reference numbers across this single type reflects genuine mint-by-mint die variation, not cataloging conservatism. Collectors working this series differentiate pieces primarily by mintmark punching depth and letter style rather than gross design differences.