Manuel I's reign saw Portugal at the apex of its spice trade dominance, and the revenues flowing through Lisbon from the Estado da India directly funded an expanded royal coinage program in these years. The half tostão was a workhorse denomination in domestic commerce, filling the gap between the smaller espadim and the full tostão at a moment when Portuguese silver coinage was being encountered — and sometimes imitated — from Hormuz to Malacca.
The Gomes E1.40 reference places this among the earlier documented die pairings for the type. Manuel died in December 1521, making issues from the final year of this window relatively short-lived in production.
Manuel I's reign saw Portugal at the apex of its spice trade dominance, and the revenues flowing through Lisbon from the Estado da India directly funded an expanded royal coinage program in these years. The half tostão was a workhorse denomination in domestic commerce, filling the gap between the smaller espadim and the full tostão at a moment when Portuguese silver coinage was being encountered — and sometimes imitated — from Hormuz to Malacca.
The Gomes E1.40 reference places this among the earlier documented die pairings for the type. Manuel died in December 1521, making issues from the final year of this window relatively short-lived in production.