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640 Réis - Maria I Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro Mints
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Lisboa / Casa da Moeda do Brasil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1787-1802 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Central device comprises the crowned Portuguese royal arms — a shield bearing the traditional quinas (five escutcheons arranged in a cross) and bordure of castles — surmounted by a royal crown. The date is divided to either side of the shield, with the denomination numeral 640 appearing to the left and three cinquefoil rosettes arranged vertically to the right of the shield. The encircling legend, interrupted by these elements, reads in Latin around the entire periphery of the field. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | 1787 - KM #222.1; Bentes #288.01 (Low Crown). - 62,000 1787 - KM #222.3; Bentes #289.01 (High Crown). - 1790 - KM #222.1; Bentes #288.02 (Low Crown). - 19,000 1790 - KM #222.3; Bentes #289.02 (High Crown). - 1791 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.01-02 (See Comments); Rare. - 1792 - KM #222.1; Bentes #288.03 (Low Crown). - 3,474 1792 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.03. - 3,484 1793 - KM #222.1; Bentes #288.04 (Low Crown). - 6,548 1793 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.04. - 19,495 1794 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.05. - 1795 - KM #222.3; Bentes #289.03 (High Crown). - 21,896 1795 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.06. - 1800 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.07-08 (See Comments). - 34,431 1802 R - KM #222.2; Bentes #291.09. - 56,126 |
| Additional information |
Maria I ascended to the Portuguese throne in 1787 following her father José I's death and the forced retirement of the Marquis of Pombal, whose centralizing reforms she systematically dismantled. The dual-mint production of this type — split between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro — reflects the crown's ongoing effort to monetize Brazilian silver at source rather than shipping bullion across the Atlantic at considerable risk and cost. The Rio mint had been permanently established in 1694 specifically to handle the flood of colonial silver and gold, and by Maria's reign it was producing coinage indistinguishable in type from its Lisbon counterpart.
Maria was declared mentally incapacitated in 1799, with her son João assuming the regency — yet production of coinage in her name continued through 1802.