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3 Centavos Sines
| Issuer | Câmara Municipal de Sines |
|---|---|
| Year | 1922 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | MA#2140 |
| Obverse description | Printed in dark green on light paper, the obverse is framed by an elaborate Gothic architectural border with ornate columns and pinnacles at left and right. A group of three portrait vignettes is arranged at center-left — one bearded elder above and two figures wearing aviator-style headgear below — while the Portuguese municipal coat of arms appears at lower right. The denomination "3 CTV." is printed at lower left, with a facsimile signature of the President of the Executive Commission below the issuer inscription. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in red-pink, the reverse carries a large panoramic vignette of the coastal town of Sines, with the sea, cliffs, and fortifications rendered in fine line engraving. A circular portrait medallion of Vasco da Gama, bearded and wearing a period cap, is inset at upper left. The denomination "3 CTV." appears at lower left, and a decorative dotted border frames the entire composition. |
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| Comments |
Sines is a small coastal municipality in the Alentejo, and its câmara had no business issuing paper money — except that Portugal's chronic small-change shortage after World War One left local governments with little choice. Between roughly 1917 and 1925, hundreds of Portuguese municipalities printed their own cédulas to fill the gap left by the near-total disappearance of bronze coinage from circulation.
The 3 centavos denomination is among the lowest issued anywhere in the series, reflecting just how desperate the fractional shortage was. MA#2140 is catalogued but genuinely scarce — Sines was a small issuer, total print runs were modest, and survival rates for low-value municipal paper of this period are poor.