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640 Réis - Maria I and Pedro III Low and High Crowns, Lisbon Mint
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Lisboa (Lisbon Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1778-1784 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device features an armillary sphere superimposed upon a large Cross of the Order of Christ, the cross rendered in bold relief with flared terminals. The sphere, symbol of Portuguese maritime dominion and the Brazilian viceroyalty, is depicted with clearly engraved meridian and equatorial bands. No mintmark is present in the field. The abbreviated Latin motto is distributed around the central device within the toothed border, referencing the stability of the realm under the sign of the cross. |
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| Additional information |
Pedro III was Maria I's uncle as well as her husband — a dynastic arrangement common enough in Bourbon and Braganza courts, though it made him king consort rather than king regnant, a distinction the Portuguese crown was careful to maintain. He died in 1786, after which Maria continued issuing coinage in her name alone. The joint coinage spans a narrow window, and the two reference numbers in Bentes reflect the "Low Crown" and "High Crown" varieties, a die distinction visible in the crown punch above one of the portraits — a small detail that has generated outsized collector interest relative to the type's overall availability.