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320 Réis - João Prince Regent Countermarked 300 Réis, KM#178.
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1809 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device depicts an armillary sphere with clearly defined meridian and parallel bands, flanked symmetrically by two crossed arrows or sceptres. The encircling legend reads 'SVBQ· SIGN. NATA STAB.' distributed around the sphere, with the mint mark 'B' (for Bahia, the host coin's original mint) incorporated within the design. The border is reeded, consistent with milled coinage of the period. |
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| Additional information |
The countermark program of 1809 was a fiscal stopgap: the Portuguese crown, having relocated to Rio de Janeiro the previous year under British naval escort to escape Napoleon's invasion, faced an immediate shortage of circulating silver. Rather than strike entirely new coinage, existing 320 Réis pieces were stamped with a crowned globe mark and revalued downward to 300 Réis — an acknowledgment that the coins had been circulating at an inflated rate relative to their actual silver content.
The Rio mint had only just been formally reestablished by royal decree on June 13, 1808. Applying countermarks was faster than retooling for fresh production.