| Descrizione del dritto |
The obverse displays the Portuguese royal arms as they appear on the host coin, a hammered 1/2 Tostão of João IV: the quintas shield arrangement featuring five escutcheons each charged with five bezants (quinas), enclosed within a bordure of castles, all set within a beaded inner circle. A Latin legend surrounds the composition along the outer rim. A Type 4 Brazilian countermark, applied in 1663 by order of the colonial authorities, is struck over the host coin's field, validating its revalued circulation at 75 Réis. |
| Scrittura del dritto |
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| Legenda del dritto |
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| Descrizione del rovescio |
The reverse of the host Portuguese 1/2 Tostão shows a large bold cross pattée occupying the central field, a characteristic design of the hammered coinage of the Portuguese Crown. The quadrants formed by the cross contain letters and numerals — likely the mintmark and denomination indicators — partially legible due to the irregular flan and the effects of wear. A beaded inner circle and a partial Latin circumscription are visible along the rim, consistent with standard Portuguese hammered silver coinage of the period. |
| Scrittura del rovescio |
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| Legenda del rovescio |
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| Bordo |
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| Zecca |
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| Tiratura |
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In 1663, the Portuguese crown authorized a sweeping countermark program across Brazilian colonial coinage to revalue and legitimize existing circulation stock — a direct response to chronic silver shortages and the monetary chaos that followed decades of war with Spain and the Dutch occupation of Pernambuco. Worn 1/2 tostões already in circulation were stamped and assigned a new nominal value of 75 réis, effectively stretching the coin supply without shipping new metal from Lisbon.
João IV himself had died in 1656, making the attribution of his name to this 1663 issue a posthumous administrative formality — the countermark referenced the original host coin's reign, not the authority performing the restamping.