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1 Onça / 6 Cruzados - Maria II
| Issuer | Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1843-1845 |
| 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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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the denomination inscription within a roughly rectangular border composed of irregular dashes or punched lines, framing the text in the manner characteristic of Portuguese Mozambican bar coinage. The legend reads 'ONÇA' above '6 Cr', denoting one ounce valued at 6 Cruzados. Two rosette or star punches are placed in diagonally opposite corners of the flan, mirroring those on the obverse. The surface retains the coarse texture typical of hammered silver bar coinage produced for colonial circulation in Portuguese East Africa. |
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| Reverse lettering | ONÇA * * 6 Cr |
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| Additional information |
Portugal struck these oversized silver pieces specifically for Mozambican trade circulation, where local commerce depended heavily on bullion-weight transactions rather than face-value acceptance. The debased .666 fineness was a deliberate colonial compromise — fine enough to be accepted, cheap enough to produce in volume for a periphery market Lisbon considered expendable to metropolitan coinage standards.
The 1843–1845 window corresponds to a period of acute monetary disorder in Portuguese Africa, with Spanish and Brazilian reals, Indian rupees, and miscellaneous foreign silver all competing in local circulation. This piece was issued partly to displace that chaos.