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200 Réis - José I Colonial Coinage
| Issuer | Portuguese Crown (for Mozambique) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1755 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device depicts a large armillary sphere — a symbol of Portuguese maritime exploration and sovereignty — rendered in bold relief with clearly defined meridian and latitude bands. Superimposed over the sphere is a large capital letter 'N' formed by crossed bands, a mintmark or control device associated with colonial issues. The abbreviated Latin motto SVBQ SIGN NATA STAB is divided among the four quadrants of the field, reading 'Sub hoc signo nata stabit' (Born under this sign it shall stand). The design is enclosed within a beaded border, and the field is plain save for the central device and surrounding legend segments. |
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| Additional information |
José I came to the throne in 1750 inheriting a colonial monetary system plagued by chronic shortages of small silver and rampant counterfeiting of locally-circulating cobs. The 1755 Mozambique issues were part of a deliberate effort to impose standardized milled coinage on the East African trade routes — routes then dominated by Indian Ocean commerce with Goa, Macao, and the Swahili coast, where worn and clipped silver circulated by weight rather than face value.
The Lisbon earthquake struck on November 1st of this same year, killing tens of thousands and destroying much of the mint's administrative infrastructure. How many pieces of this issue were struck before or after that catastrophe remains unresolved in the surviving records.