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1/2 Tostão 'Hybrid'- João III/Manuel I 1st type, Lisboa
| Issuer | Kingdom of Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1521 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the Portuguese royal arms composed of five escutcheons arranged in a quincunx pattern, each bearing five bezants (quinas), the whole forming the traditional Portuguese quintas design. The five shields are disposed in cruciform fashion within a plain inner circle. A beaded outer border frames the circumferential Latin legend referencing Manuel I as king of Portugal and the Algarves, lord of Guinea, reading + I : EMAИVEL : R : P : ET : A : D : GNE. This obverse die, struck in the name of Manuel I, was paired with a reverse die of João III, giving the coin its hybrid character. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The so-called "hybrid" designation here reflects a transitional minting accident — or possibly deliberate administrative pragmatism — at the Lisboa mint in the accession year of João III. When Manuel I died in December 1521, die stocks did not change overnight. Obverse and reverse dies from the outgoing reign were sometimes paired with those prepared for the new king, producing muled pieces that numismatists now catalog separately. Whether the Lisboa workers were simply clearing old dies or operating under genuinely confused royal orders during the interregnum remains unresolved.
Gomes lists two distinct pairings under J3 85.01 and 85.02, suggesting more than one hybrid combination was struck before the mint regularized production.