Catalog
8 Macutas - José I
| Issuer | Angola |
|---|---|
| Year | 1762-1770 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 8 Macutas (400) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The crowned Portuguese royal arms occupy the central field, displaying the escutcheon with the traditional quinas arrangement surmounted by an ornate royal crown. Decorative foliate and tassel ornaments flank the shield on either side. The encircling legend reads JOSEPHUS·I·D·G·REX·P·ET·D·GUINEÆ·, identifying King José I of Portugal by his Latin royal titles. The whole design is contained within a milled border. The style is consistent with mid-18th century Portuguese colonial coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | ·1770· *.AFRICA·PORTUGUEZA·* MACUTAS 8 |
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| Additional information |
Angola's macuta coinage was established under a 1762 royal decree that created a localized currency system for Portuguese West Africa — one of the earliest deliberate attempts to produce a colonial-specific silver denomination rather than simply exporting metropolitan coinage. The 8 macutas sat at the top of that hierarchy, making it the highest-value piece in routine colonial circulation.
José I's reign saw Portugal still operating under the overwhelming influence of the Marquis of Pombal, who drove much of the administrative restructuring that made this coinage possible.