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200 Escudos Columbus and Portugal, silver
| Issuer | Banco de Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a right-facing portrait bust of Christopher Columbus rendered in low relief against a divided background. To the left of the portrait, a compass rose or navigator's wheel motif with triangular geometric elements references the Age of Discovery. To the right, a stylized outline map of the Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe is depicted, accompanied by a small Order of Christ cross. The inscription 'COLOMBO E PORTUGAL' arcs along the upper periphery, while the dates '1476' and '1485' — marking the years Columbus spent in Portugal — are inscribed in the lower right field. The overall design, by engraver António Marinho, reflects the coin's commemorative theme of Columbus's Portuguese sojourn. |
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| Additional information |
This piece belongs to the Portuguese Discoveries commemorative program, one of the most ambitious numismatic series of the late twentieth century, timed to the approaching quincentenary of Columbus's 1492 voyage. Portugal's claim on Columbus has always been contested — Genoese by birth, he lived in Lisbon for years, married a Portuguese noblewoman, and almost certainly presented his Atlantic plan to João II before taking it to the Spanish crown after rejection.
The KM#658a designation distinguishes the sterling silver striking from the base-metal currency issue, both released the same year.