2 Xerafins São Tomé - José I Goa mint

José I's reign saw Portuguese India clinging to a handful of coastal enclaves, Goa foremost among them, while the Estado da India's commercial dominance had long since collapsed under Dutch and English pressure. This fractional gold denomination served local trade at a moment when the Viceroy's treasury was chronically underfunded and bullion supplies to the Goa mint were irregular — a condition reflected in the known die varieties cataloged under Gomes Jo 55.02 and 55.03, which suggest short, interrupted production runs rather than a sustained issue.