5000 Reis - Maria II

Maria II's gold coinage was struck against a backdrop of near-constant civil and financial instability — the Liberal Wars had only concluded in 1834, leaving the Portuguese treasury depleted and the currency system in disarray. The 1838 constitutional revision that restructured the monarchy also prompted a reorganization of the coinage, which is why this type begins precisely that year.

The Gomes reference distinguishes a second variety, M2 45.02, differing in die details at the Lisbon mint — worth confirming against that catalog before attribution.