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450 Réis - Luis I Countermark 'Crowned PM' over 1 Rupee /Victoria, Índia
| Issuer | Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1889 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Crowned and draped bust of Queen Victoria facing left, wearing the Imperial State Crown with elaborate detail, her hair arranged in loose curls. The legend VICTORIA QUEEN curves along the left and right periphery within a beaded border. A circular Portuguese countermark applied to the right of the effigy depicts a royal crown above the initials P.M., struck on behalf of the Portuguese administration of Mozambique in 1889 to revalue the host coin as 450 Réis. |
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| Reverse description | Central field bears the three-line denomination inscription ONE RUPEE / INDIA followed by the date, all surrounded by an elaborate symmetrical wreath of acanthus scrollwork, thistles, and floral sprays filling the entire field. The design is enclosed by a finely executed beaded inner border and a plain outer rim. The overall composition is characteristic of the Victorian-era British India rupee type engraved under the direction of the Calcutta and Bombay mints. |
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| Additional information |
In 1889, Portuguese colonial authorities in Mozambique faced a persistent shortage of small silver currency. Rather than wait for a dedicated shipment from Lisbon, they countermarked surplus British Indian rupees — Victoria-era pieces already circulating in the region due to the proximity of British East Africa and the Indian Ocean trade routes — with a crowned 'PM' punch and restamped them as 450 réis for local use. The practice was common in Lusophone Africa but this particular application, repurposing British colonial coinage into Portuguese colonial coinage, reflects how porous those imperial boundaries actually were on the ground.
The KM#41.1 designation covers a range of host coins; the specific Victoria rupee underneath the countermark can vary by date and mint.