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.
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.