João III's copper fractionals for Goa were among the earliest European-style coins struck on the Indian subcontinent, produced at the Goa mint after Portugal consolidated control of the city following Afonso de Albuquerque's conquest in 1510. The leal denominations were introduced to facilitate small transactions in a local economy accustomed to entirely different monetary systems, and acceptance was far from immediate.
The Gomes reference J3 08.01 places this among the earlier documented varieties of the type, though the 35-year production window makes precise dating within the reign nearly impossible without die study.
João III's copper fractionals for Goa were among the earliest European-style coins struck on the Indian subcontinent, produced at the Goa mint after Portugal consolidated control of the city following Afonso de Albuquerque's conquest in 1510. The leal denominations were introduced to facilitate small transactions in a local economy accustomed to entirely different monetary systems, and acceptance was far from immediate.
The Gomes reference J3 08.01 places this among the earlier documented varieties of the type, though the 35-year production window makes precise dating within the reign nearly impossible without die study.