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4000 Réis - Afonso VI Countermark 'Crowned 4' over 4 Cruzados
| Issuer | Portuguese Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1662-1668 |
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| Composition | Gold (.9166) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse retains the design of the host 4 Cruzados coin, featuring the Portuguese royal arms — a quartered shield bearing the quinas (five escutcheons each charged with five plates) — surmounted by a royal crown in high relief. A partial circumferential legend in Latin, referencing the Portuguese monarchy, surrounds the central armorial device within a beaded border. The style and specific legend vary depending on the reign of the host coin, ranging from Philip I through Afonso VI. The hammered fabric results in an irregular, somewhat distorted flan with uneven relief across the surface. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
During the chaotic early years of Afonso VI's reign, Portugal faced acute gold shortages partly attributable to the ongoing Restoration War against Spain. Rather than strike entirely new coinage, the crown authorized countermarking existing 4 Cruzados pieces with a crowned numeral 4, effectively revaluing and re-authenticating them as 4000 Réis for continued circulation. The countermark itself became the legal instrument — the host coin's original authority was secondary to the royal punch.
The window of 1662–1668 corresponds with the period before Afonso's chief minister the Count of Castelo Melhor consolidated effective power, during which monetary administration was particularly unsettled.