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2 Xerafins São Tomé - José I Goa mint
| Issuer | Portuguese India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1766-1774 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.81 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field features a bold cross pattée with curved, interlocking arms, flanked by the date numerals divided across the quarters of the cross, with portions of the date visible in the lower quarters of the field. The design is struck in a primitive hammered style with an irregular flan. A beaded or milled border encircles the reverse, consistent with the production standards of the Goa Mint during the reign of José I. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Goa Mint |
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| Additional information |
The xerafim was a unit of account deeply embedded in Goan commercial life long before it existed as a struck coin — merchants had reckoned in xerafins for generations while the actual currency circulated in a tangle of local, Portuguese, and Mughal issues. José I's reign saw a concerted effort to rationalize that coinage, partly under the influence of the Marquis of Pombal's broader colonial economic reforms. These tiny gold pieces were the practical result: small enough for everyday transactions, precise enough to anchor a chaotic monetary environment.
KM#147.2 distinguishes this from the 147.1 variety by mint mark detail specific to the Goa facility.