5 Réis - João IV

João IV took the Portuguese throne in 1640 after the country broke free from sixty years of Iberian Union under Spanish Habsburg rule — a period during which Portuguese coinage had been systematically neglected and debased. The new Braganza dynasty needed a functioning copper currency quickly, and these réis were among the first issues establishing monetary independence from Madrid.

The multiple Gomes references reflect genuine die variations across the production run, not catalogue inconsistency. Portuguese copper of this decade is notoriously poorly struck, a direct consequence of hastily re-established mint operations in Lisbon still rebuilding capacity after decades of Spanish administrative control.