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2400 Réis - Contermark 'MR' over 1 Thaler Austria 1704
| Issuer | Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1765 |
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| Value | 2400 Reis |
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| Obverse description | Draped and armored bust of Emperor Leopold I facing right, with flowing curled wig, set within a beaded inner circle. The prominent Portuguese countermark 'MR' (in an incuse rectangular punch) is applied to the right side of the bust in the field. The circumferential legend reads: LEOPOLDVS D G ROM IMP S A GH V BO REX, denoting his imperial and royal titles in Latin. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | LEOPOLDVS D G ROM IMP S A GH V BO REX |
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| Additional information |
In 1765, Portuguese colonial authorities in Mozambique countermarked circulating European thalers to legitimize them for local trade — the crowned 'MR' punch (for *Moçambique Real*) converting foreign silver into sanctioned colonial currency at a fixed tariff value. The host coin here is an Austrian thaler of 1704, already six decades old at the time of countermarking, which speaks to how thoroughly worn foreign specie circulated in the Indian Ocean trade networks before official intervention.
Gomes catalogues this type as Jo 30, distinguishing it by host coin origin and date. The countermark placement and depth vary considerably across surviving examples, as the punching was done locally rather than at a metropolitan mint.