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20 Escudos Prince Henry the Navigator
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Lisboa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1960 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The Portuguese national coat of arms, a shield bearing five escutcheons in cross arrangement each charged with five bezants, framed within a decorative bordure of castles, occupies the central field. Flanking the shield are two laurel branches. The circular legend REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA arcs around the upper periphery, while the denomination 20$00 appears prominently in the lower field. The design is rendered in a clean, high-relief style consistent with mid-twentieth century Portuguese coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA 20$00 (Translation: Portuguese Republic) |
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| Additional information |
This coin was issued as part of Portugal's commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry, who died in 1460. The Salazar regime made considerable use of such historical figures — Henry in particular — as instruments of nationalist mythology, framing Portugal's Age of Discovery as both civilizing mission and proof of imperial destiny at a moment when that empire was already beginning to fracture under anticolonial pressure in Africa and Asia.
The .800 silver composition was a deliberate step down from earlier Portuguese silver coinage, reflecting chronic postwar pressure on the country's silver reserves.