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1/2 Tostão - João Prince Regent
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1802-1816 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Tostão = 50 Réis |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A bold plain cross pattée occupies the central field, dividing it into four quadrants, each containing a quatrefoil ornament. The circular legend *.IN*HOC*SIGNO*VINCES. runs around the periphery, separated by asterisk stops, evoking the Constantinian motto 'In this sign thou shalt conquer.' The overall design is austere and symmetrical, consistent with Portuguese silver coinage of the late colonial and Peninsular War period. |
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| Additional information |
João served as Prince Regent from 1799 onward while his mother, Queen Maria I, was deemed mentally unfit to govern — a polite framing for what contemporaries described as episodes of religious mania and uncontrollable weeping. The long date range on this issue reflects the disruption caused by the Napoleonic invasions of 1807–1808, which forced the entire Braganza court to relocate to Brazil under British naval escort, leaving Portuguese mint operations fractured across multiple years.