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20 Réis - Maria I
| Issuer | Azores |
|---|---|
| Year | 1790-1798 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Real (mechanical coinage, 1750-1830) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central device comprises the ornate crowned Portuguese royal coat of arms, featuring the traditional quartered escutcheon with castles and bezants, flanked by elaborate baroque cartouche work with foliate and floral decorative elements. The royal crown surmounts the shield, rendered in fine relief with detailed jewelling and arches. The circular Latin legend reads MARIA I DEI GRATIA, running along the coin's periphery. The milled edge is clearly visible, and the overall engraving style reflects the late eighteenth-century Portuguese baroque tradition. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | MARIA I DEI GRATIA |
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| Additional information |
The Azorean copper issues of Maria I were struck not at a metropolitan Portuguese mint but locally, a practical response to the chronic shortage of small change plaguing the islands. The archipelago's geographic isolation meant mainland coinage rarely circulated in sufficient volume, and the Crown authorized separate island issues as a direct administrative remedy.
The KM#3 series spans nearly a decade of production, during which die quality degraded noticeably — later strikes from worn dies are common, and the Gomes reference distinguishes several subvarieties by die state.