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1/2 Xerafim - João IV Goa mint to Dio
| Issuer | Portuguese India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1653-1659 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Xerafim |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | A bold Cross of the Order of Christ occupies the full field, its expanded terminals creating four quadrants each containing one digit of the regnal date. The quadrants display the numerals 1, 6, 5, and 6 (year varying by emission), with a small pellet or fleur-de-lis ornament at the center of the cross. The design is contained within a beaded border. |
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| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
João IV never actually visited India — his entire reign was managed through a succession of viceroys operating out of Goa while the Estado da India hemorrhaged territory to the Dutch. The half xerafim was the workhorse denomination of Portuguese Indian trade, moving between Goa, Diu, and the Persian Gulf ports with enough regularity that die wear on surviving examples is often severe. Diu itself had been under near-constant threat since the Ottoman sieges of 1538 and 1546, and by João IV's reign it functioned more as a fortified trading post than a true colonial city.