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1/4 Bastardo - Manuel I
| Issuer | Portuguese Malacca |
|---|---|
| Year | 1511-1521 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | PORTVG (Translation: Portugal) |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Malacca fell to Afonso de Albuquerque in July 1511, and Portuguese administrators almost immediately faced the practical problem of supplying small change to a port city whose commerce ran on fractions too small for silver. The bastardo series was their solution — low-denomination tin-lead pieces struck for local bazaar trade, not for export or treasury use. The calin alloy itself was native to the region, already familiar to Malay and Chinese merchants who had used similar compositions for generations before the Portuguese arrived.
The quarter denomination is the smallest of the bastardo fractions and among the most difficult to attribute cleanly today, as die preparation was inconsistent from the outset.