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1/2 Real Grosso- Afonso V Ceuta mint
| Issuer | Crown of Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1438-1457 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Gomes#A5 27 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a detailed architectural depiction of the fortified walls and towers of Ceuta, rendered in a stylised medieval manner with multiple battlemented turrets, arched gateways, and crenellated curtain walls conveying the city's defensive character. A beaded inner border separates the central fortress motif from the encircling Latin legend in the outer field. The mint mark 'C' for Ceuta appears within or adjacent to the design. The composition reflects the civic and territorial pride associated with Portugal's conquest and lordship of Ceuta. |
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| Additional information |
Afonso V came to the throne as a child of six, with his uncle Pedro of Coimbra serving as regent until 1448 — a regency that ended in political rupture and eventually the Battle of Alfarrobeira in 1449, where Pedro was killed. The Ceuta mint itself was a direct consequence of Portugal's 1415 conquest of the city, the opening move of Iberian expansion into Africa and the first permanent European foothold on the continent's coast. Coinage struck there carried logistical and symbolic weight: it supplied a garrison city cut off from the mainland, dependent on sea resupply, perpetually under threat of Marinid siege.
Gomes attributes relatively few surviving types to this mint for the reign, reflecting the operational constraints of a fortified outpost rather than a productive metropolitan workshop.