Catalog
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| Issuer | Câmara Municipal de Penafiel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in green on cream paper, the reverse carries the Penafiel municipal coat of arms — a crowned shield bearing an eagle displayed — at the upper left, encircled by the legend of the issuing council. The issue date is printed in full across the centre, with the denomination repeated in bold letterpress at the lower centre, all enclosed within the same decorative floral-chain border as the obverse. |
| Reverse lettering | CAMARA MUNICIPAL DO CONCELHO DE PENAFIEL 1 de Julho de 1920 VALE 1 Centavo (Translation: Municipal Council of the Municipality of Penafiel / 1 July 1920 / Worth 1 Centavo) |
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| Comments |
Penafiel's municipal chamber was one of dozens of Portuguese local authorities forced into emergency note issuance during the severe coin shortages that plagued the country from roughly 1917 onward. The central government's inability to maintain adequate bronze and cupro-nickel coinage in circulation left municipalities, parishes, pharmacies, and even private businesses printing their own fractional substitutes — a situation that persisted well into the early 1920s before Lisbon managed to stabilize small-denomination supply.
These cédulas municipais were legally sanctioned but locally redeemable only, which kept most in tight regional circulation and makes examples from smaller issuing bodies genuinely uncommon today.