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600 Réis Countermark 'GP' over '640 Réis, Brazil'
| Issuer | Azores |
|---|---|
| Year | 1887 |
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| Composition | Silver (.9166) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the Portuguese royal arms — a crowned shield bearing the quinas (five escutcheons) and castles — centrally positioned in the field, surmounted by the royal crown. A small oval countermark depicting a crowned 'G.P.' monogram (the Azores countermark applied in 1887) is struck over the lower portion of the central shield. The denomination '640' appears to the left of the shield and the date to the right, with the circular legend reading 'MARIA I D G PORTUGALIE BRASILIAEQUE PRINCEPS' around the periphery, separated by pellets. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The 'GP' countermark — standing for Governo Português — was applied in the Azores to Brazilian 640 réis coins as a cost-saving measure rather than a full recoinage. Brazil's independence in 1822 had severed the monetary supply chain that once kept Portuguese Atlantic territories stocked with fresh coinage, leaving the Azores chronically short of circulating silver for decades afterward. Countermarking foreign and obsolete coin was the pragmatic solution.
The Gomes reference numbers 25.10 through 25.16 reflect the multiple Brazilian host types accepted for this treatment, each from different Brazilian reigns and minting periods.