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12 Macutas - Maria I and Pedro III
| Issuer | Angola |
|---|---|
| Year | 1783 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#25, Gomes#MP.09.01 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Milled |
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| Additional information |
Angola's macuta coinage of the 1780s was a deliberate attempt by the Portuguese crown to impose a regulated currency on a colonial economy that had long operated on cloth — specifically nzimbu shells and panos — as its primary medium of exchange. The joint attribution to Maria I and Pedro III is a dynastic formality; Pedro III died in 1786 having exercised minimal independent power, ruling only as the consort of his niece-wife Maria.
The 48.8mm diameter made these among the largest silver coins circulating in Portuguese Africa, which likely contributed to hoarding over use.