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2400 Réis - Contermark 'MR' over 1 Thaler Austria 1704
| Issuer | Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1765 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | LEOPOLDVS D G ROM IMP S A GH V BO REX |
| Reverse description | Crowned double-headed imperial eagle displayed in the center of the field, with wings spread, each head surmounted by a separate crown and both beneath a single imperial crown. The breast of the eagle bears a quartered shield of the Habsburg dynastic arms. The circumferential legend reads: ARCHIDVX AVSTRIE DVX BVRCO TYROL, with the date 1704 appearing above at the top of the field. The design is rendered in high relief characteristic of Habsburg Thaler coinage of the period. |
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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.