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5 Réis - Maria I and Pedro III Low and High Crowns, Lisbon Mint
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Lisboa (Lisbon Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1778-1785 |
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| Value | 5 Réis |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the Roman numeral V (denoting 5 réis) surmounted by a royal crown, flanked on either side by a quatrefoil rosette ornament. The date appears below the numeral in the lower portion of the field. The entire central device is encircled by a ring of raised pellets forming an inner border. The surrounding legend reads MARIA.I.ET.PETRUS.III.D.G.P.ET.BRASIL.REGES, identifying the joint sovereigns Queen Maria I and King Peter III as rulers of Portugal and Brazil, distributed around the periphery within a finely milled outer rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents an armillary sphere — the emblematic device of the Kingdom of Brazil — rendered in bold relief at the center of the field, its meridian bands, parallels, and ecliptic clearly delineated. A small royal crown surmounts the sphere at the top. A mint mark appears at the base of the sphere. The circular peripheral legend PECUNIA.TOTUM.CIRCUMIT.ORBEM (Money circulates around the world) runs around the device within a plain milled rim, the legend itself being particularly apt given the armillary sphere motif. |
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| Additional information |
Maria I ruled jointly with her uncle-husband Pedro III from 1777 until his death in 1786, and the coinage of this period reflects that awkward dual authority — both names appear on issues throughout the reign. The "Low Crown" and "High Crown" varieties documented under Bentes 277 and 278 are die variants distinguishable by the height of the crown element, a product of successive punch replacements at the Lisbon mint rather than any deliberate policy change.
Portugal's copper coinage of this decade circulated under persistent pressure from coin shortages driven by colonial trade demands, particularly from Brazil.