Catalog
500 escudos De Gama, Inde
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Escudo (1911-2001) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | A portrait vignette of the explorer Vasco da Gama is set against the Portuguese coat of arms, rendered in the central field of the note. To the right, a ship's rudder and a sailing vessel appear as secondary design elements, evoking the Age of Discovery. The obverse carries inscriptions referencing the Banco Nacional de Exploração and the date 9 de Maio de 2017, printed on polymer stock in a style reminiscent of historical Portuguese banknotes. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Transparent window integrated into the polymer substrate |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
This is a fantasy or commemorative polymer piece, not an authorized Banco de Portugal issue — Portugal adopted the euro in 2002 and has issued no escudo-denominated banknotes since. The "De Gama, Inde" designation evokes Vasco da Gama's 1498 sea route to India, a subject that appeared on genuine Portuguese escudo notes of the 20th century, but nothing about this item's authorization or issuing context suggests it carries any legal tender status in any jurisdiction.
Franck Medina is a French designer known for producing private fantasy notes and specimen-style pieces on polymer substrate. The transparent window is a real security feature technology, here applied to what is essentially a collector's novelty.