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12 Xerafins São Tomé - José I Goa mint
| Issuer | Portuguese India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1762-1767 |
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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) | Gomes#Jo 67, KM#142 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The Cross of Saint Thomas (Cruz de São Tomé), a floriated cross with trefoil terminals, occupies the central field. The date 1764 is divided by the vertical and horizontal arms of the cross, with two digits placed in each quadrant. An abbreviated legend composed of the initials ST . ME . CR . SD surrounds the cross, referencing the apostolic patronage of Saint Thomas. The overall design follows the traditional iconographic convention of the São Tomé gold coinage struck at Goa under King José I. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The xerafim was a unit of account deeply embedded in the fiscal machinery of Portuguese India, but gold multiples like this 12-xerafim piece were struck primarily for large commercial transactions and tribute payments rather than everyday exchange. José I's reign coincided with the ascendancy of the Marquis of Pombal, whose sweeping administrative reforms reached even the Estado da India — the Goa mint operated under tightening metropolitan oversight during precisely these years.
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake had devastated crown finances, and colonial mints were pressed harder to generate revenue. Goa's output in this period reflects that pressure.