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300 Réis - Luis I Countermark 'BIG CROWN' over '500 Réis - Pedro II, Brazil'
| Issuer | Azores |
|---|---|
| Year | 1871 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the imperial arms of Brazil: a shield bearing a celestial globe with a diagonal band and a ring of stars, all surmounted by a large imperial crown with elaborate detailing. The shield is flanked by symmetrical branches — a coffee branch to the left and a tobacco branch to the right — joined at the base by a coffee pod ornament. The circumferential legend IN HOC SIG-NO VINCES arcs across the upper field in Latin script, and a milled border frames the entire design. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Portugal's Atlantic island territories operated under chronic small-change shortages through much of the nineteenth century, and the Azores administration repeatedly solved the problem through countermarking foreign and colonial silver rather than waiting on Lisbon to supply purpose-struck coinage. This piece began life as a Brazilian 500 Réis of Pedro II before being officially punched and revalued downward to 300 Réis for local circulation — a reduction that reflects exchange-rate realities between Brazilian and Portuguese silver at the time rather than any debasement of the host coin.
The 'Big Crown' designation distinguishes this countermark type from smaller crown punches applied in the same general period, a distinction that matters considerably for attribution.