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300 Réis - Afonso VI Counterstamp 'Crowned 300' over '4 Reales - Felipe IV'
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1663 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Portuguese royal counterstamp applied centrally to the obverse of the host coin, consisting of the numeral '300' enclosed within a crowned cartouche, struck in intaglio relief. The crowned '300' counterstamp of King Afonso VI is boldly impressed into the field, partially overlapping the underlying design of the Spanish 4 Reales macuquina. The host coin's original design elements — including portions of the quartered arms of Castile and León and fragmentary cross motifs — remain visible in the surrounding field. The irregular polygonal flan, characteristic of cob coinage (macuquina), displays an uneven, textured surface consistent with hand-hammered silver production. The counterstamp authenticates and revalues the host coin for circulation within the Portuguese monetary system. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
In 1663, Portugal was two years past its decisive victory at the Battle of Ameixial — still fighting to consolidate independence from Spain following the 1640 Restoration. Silver was scarce, and the crown had neither the mint capacity nor the bullion reserves to strike sufficient new coinage. The solution was pragmatic: Spanish colonial four-reales pieces, already circulating widely in Portugal, were counterstamped and revalued as Portuguese currency, effectively conscripting enemy silver into domestic service.
The host coins are Felipe IV issues, the monarch whose reign Portugal had formally rejected. Overstamping his coinage with a Portuguese royal cipher carried an implicit political charge that contemporaries would not have missed.