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100 Escudos D. António, Prior of Crato
| Issuer | Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda (INCM) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 2.7 mm |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a central composition comprising the Portuguese national coat of arms at lower left, and to its right a group of four crosses associated with the military orders under which D. António issued coinage: the cross of the Military Order of Santiago da Espada, the cross of the Military Order of Avis, the cross of the Military Order of Christ, and a calvary cross. Perched prominently in the upper left field is a Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), known in Portuguese as 'açor', the bird of prey that gave its name to the Azores archipelago, alluding to D. António's tenure and pretensions in those islands. The engraver's name 'Alípio Pinto' and the mint mark 'INCM' appear in the lower field. The circular legend 'REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA' arcs across the upper rim, while '100 ESCUDOS' is inscribed along the lower rim, all within a beaded inner border. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
D. António, Prior do Crato, was the last serious claimant to an independent Portuguese throne before the Iberian Union extinguished the Aviz line's political relevance. Acclaimed king in 1580 by a faction of Portuguese nobility and commoners in Santarém, he held the throne for roughly two months before Philip II of Spain's forces under the Duke of Alba crushed his support at the Battle of Alcântara. He spent the remainder of his life in exile, attempting to recruit French and English backing — including an ill-fated alliance with Francis Drake — to recover a crown he never meaningfully held.
This 1995 commemorative was part of INCM's long-running series on Portuguese historical figures. António's inclusion reflects a persistent strand of Portuguese historiography that treats him as a symbol of resistance to Castilian absorption rather than as a failed pretender.