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200 Réis - João IV Countermarked 1 Tostao
| Issuer | Brazil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1663 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 200 Réis |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears the Brazilian Type 4 countermark applied in 1663 by order of the colonial administration, validating the host coin for circulation in Brazil at the revalued denomination of 200 Réis. The countermark consists of a crowned oval cartouche enclosing the denomination numeral '200', clearly struck in the lower central field. Above the cartouche, a large cross divides the field into quadrants in the manner typical of Portuguese hammered coinage. A partial beaded border is visible along the right periphery of the irregular flan. |
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| Additional information |
In 1663, the Portuguese crown ordered a mass countermarking operation across Brazil to revalue existing silver coinage — old 100 réis tostões received a crowned globe punch to circulate at double their face value, an emergency measure driven by chronic coin shortages in the colony and the costs of defending Portuguese Brazil against Dutch incursions that had only recently been expelled. The countermark itself was applied hastily in quantity, and placement varies considerably across surviving examples.
KM#32 is frequently found with weak or partially struck punches, a direct consequence of worn countermarking dies and inconsistent host planchet surfaces.