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1/2 Xerafim - João VI Small armillary sphere, Goa mint
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Goa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1818-1823 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device comprising the Portuguese royal arms — a quartered shield bearing the five quinas (bezants) of Portugal — surmounted by a large crown with ball finials and fleurs-de-lis, the whole encircled by an armillary sphere rendered in a small format characteristic of this issue. Decorative floral and pellet ornaments fill the field around the crowned shield. The design is enclosed within a toothed or milled border, consistent with hammered coinage practice at the Goa mint. The armillary sphere, symbol of Portuguese overseas sovereignty, is depicted with bands crossing the globe, serving as the primary reverse emblem of this colonial series. |
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| Additional information |
João VI issued this fractional piece from the Goa mint during a period of profound administrative disruption — he had been ruling from Rio de Janeiro since the Napoleonic invasion of Portugal in 1807, making him an absentee sovereign over his Indian possessions for the entirety of this coin's production run. The small armillary sphere type distinguishes it from the larger xerafim issues of the same reign, a deliberate die reduction reflecting local bullion shortages rather than metropolitan policy.
The xerafim itself was a denomination with roots in the sixteenth-century Estado da India monetary system, long predating Portuguese standardization efforts.