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920 Réis Countermark 'Crowned P.M' over 1 Thaler/Austria
| Issuer | Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1889 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 41 mm |
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| Obverse description | Veiled and draped bust of Empress Maria Theresa facing right, with elaborately coiffed hair beneath a widow's veil, occupying the central field. The surrounding legend reads M. THERESIA D. G. / R. IMP. HU. BO. REG., with the mint mark SF visible in the lower exergue. Struck onto the chest area of the bust is the Portuguese colonial countermark of Mozambique: a circular punch depicting a royal crown above the initials P.M (Provincia Mocambique), applied in 1889 to validate the host coin for circulation at 920 reis. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Portugal's colonial administration in Mozambique faced a persistent shortage of large silver coins in the late nineteenth century. Rather than wait for a dedicated colonial issue, local authorities countermarked surplus Austrian Thalers — already widely accepted in East African trade — with a crowned P.M. punch, formally valuing them at 920 réis and bringing them within the Portuguese monetary system. The practice was pragmatic and messy in equal measure.
The host coin's identity matters: Austrian Trade Thalers of this period were among the most trusted silver pieces circulating across the Indian Ocean littoral, from Zanzibar to Mozambique Island. Applying a countermark was cheaper than reminting and faster than procurement from Lisbon.