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10 Réis - Maria I Small Type, Lisbon Mint
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Lisboa (Lisbon Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1799 |
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| Value | 10 Réis |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a prominent armillary sphere at center, depicted as a globe with intersecting meridian and equatorial bands overlaid by a diagonal band, rendered in relief against a plain field. This device was the heraldic emblem of the Prince of Brazil and a long-standing symbol of Portuguese maritime and imperial identity. The circumferential legend PECUNIA.TOTUM.CIRCUMIT.ORBEM runs around the full periphery, separated by pellet stops, and is enclosed within a beaded border matching that of the obverse. |
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| Additional information |
By 1799, Maria I had been declared legally insane and her son João was exercising power as Prince Regent, though coins continued to be struck in her name until 1799. The "Small Type" designation distinguishes this issue from the earlier, heavier 10 Réis struck under her reign — a reduction driven by chronic copper shortages and the broader fiscal strain of maintaining a colonial empire while navigating the Napoleonic threat to the Iberian Peninsula.
The Bentes reference remains the authoritative catalog for Portuguese copper of this period, and Bentes 307 pieces in collectible condition are genuinely underrepresented in the market relative to their historical interest.