João V's reign saw Brazil transformed into Portugal's primary fiscal engine, largely on the back of Minas Gerais gold discoveries made around 1693. The Bahia mint — operating from Salvador, the colonial capital at the time — was the first authorized to strike gold coinage in Brazil, preceding the Vila Rica facility by several years. These small escudo-denominated pieces were struck under a system where mine operators delivered raw gold directly to the mint and received coin in return, minus the quinto, the crown's twenty-percent tax.
Bentes catalogues thirteen distinct date varieties across this emission, a span reflecting both the volume of Bahian gold output and the logistical complexity of supplying dies from Lisbon.
João V's reign saw Brazil transformed into Portugal's primary fiscal engine, largely on the back of Minas Gerais gold discoveries made around 1693. The Bahia mint — operating from Salvador, the colonial capital at the time — was the first authorized to strike gold coinage in Brazil, preceding the Vila Rica facility by several years. These small escudo-denominated pieces were struck under a system where mine operators delivered raw gold directly to the mint and received coin in return, minus the quinto, the crown's twenty-percent tax.
Bentes catalogues thirteen distinct date varieties across this emission, a span reflecting both the volume of Bahian gold output and the logistical complexity of supplying dies from Lisbon.