1/2 Real Preto - Afonso V No mint letter

The *real preto* denominations of Afonso V's reign circulated during Portugal's aggressive Atlantic expansion — the Azores were being settled, the African coast mapped, and Ceuta held at considerable military expense. Copper fractional coins like this were the workhorse of domestic markets while silver drained outward to fund campaigns. The absence of a mint letter on this type is typical of certain Afonso V copper issues rather than an anomaly, with attribution to specific mints often relying on die studies rather than explicit marks.