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1 Macuta - José I
| Issuer | Portuguese Crown |
|---|---|
| Year | 1762-1770 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#12 |
| Obverse description | Central device comprises the crowned Portuguese royal coat of arms, featuring the characteristic five escutcheons arranged in a cross on the shield, with a beaded inner border encircling the device. The legend JOSEPHUS·I·D·G·REX·P·ET·D·GUINEÆ· runs along the outer periphery in raised Latin characters, identifying the issuer as King Joseph I of Portugal and lord of Guinea. The crown surmounting the shield is rendered in bold relief with prominent cross and arches. The overall style reflects late Baroque colonial coinage produced for Portuguese African territories. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The macuta was a Portuguese colonial unit of account adopted in Angola specifically to facilitate trade with African merchants already using central African copper currency systems. José I's administration introduced the denomination partly to regularize commerce that had long relied on a chaotic mix of imported goods, cloth, and local copper as exchange media. The colonial economy it served ran heavily on the slave trade, with macutas functioning as the practical currency of that commerce along the Angolan coast and interior trading routes.