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4 Cruzados 'L/B - IIII' - Filipe III
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621-1640 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | A large plain cross pattée occupies the centre of the field, with groups of pellets or dots arranged in the four quadrants formed by the arms of the cross, a decorative motif typical of Portuguese cruzado coinage. An inner pearled circle separates the central device from the surrounding circular legend IN HOC SIGNO VINCES ('In this sign thou shalt conquer'), the motto of Constantine, rendered in Roman capitals and running continuously around the periphery within a beaded outer border. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, consistent with hammered gold production. |
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| Mint | LB Lisbon, Portugal |
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| Additional information |
Filipe III of Portugal — Felipe IV of Castile — inherited the Iberian Union in 1621 and promptly faced the financial strain of the Eighty Years' War, the Thirty Years' War, and a Dutch assault on Portuguese Brazil that would eventually cost Pernambuco entirely. Gold coinage from his Portuguese reign reflects that pressure: the crown needed specie that would circulate credibly across both Iberian kingdoms and their overseas territories, and the 4 Cruzado denomination served exactly that function in high-value transactions from Lisbon to Goa.
The 'L/B' mint mark pairing distinguishes Lisbon-struck pieces, with the IIII designation separating this type across the three Gomes references — minor die variations rather than distinct emissions.