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4 Tangas - Filipe III Goa mint, countermarked
| Issuer | Portuguese Estado da India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621-1640 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Xerafim (1580-1706) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears a prominent countermark consisting of a conjoined 'AT' monogram — standing for 'Asia Tanga' — with the letters 'D' and 'M' placed below, flanking the base of the monogram and signifying 'de Malaca' (of Malacca). The monogram is boldly engraved in a punched countermark style applied to the host coin, occupying the central field. The surrounding surface retains traces of the underlying Goa-mint host coin design. A beaded border frames the periphery of the flan. |
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| Mint | Goa Mint |
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| Additional information |
Portugal's Goa mint operated under chronic silver shortages throughout the early seventeenth century, and the countermark program applied to these 4 Tanga pieces was a direct administrative response — existing coin was restruck with official validation rather than recalled and remelted. Filipe III, ruling Portugal as the third of that name following the Iberian Union, never visited India; monetary policy for Estado da India was managed at considerable remove from Lisbon.
The countermark itself is the authenticating detail that matters here. Without it, the host coin would have circulated at a discount or been refused entirely at colonial markets.