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Ceitil - Afonso V Group 3 - Castle with towers formed by square elements, turrets with four battlements
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1449-1457 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A stylized castle rendered in low relief, its towers constructed from stacked square elements and surmounted by turrets each bearing four battlements; the fortress is depicted rising above schematic waves representing the sea. The design is enclosed within a plain inner circle, with a circular legend in uncial Latin characters occupying the outer border. The composition is characteristic of the hammered ceitil coinage of Afonso V, with an irregular flan and bold, somewhat crude die engraving typical of mid-15th-century Portuguese copper issues. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (uncial) |
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| Additional information |
The ceitil — named for Ceuta, the North African enclave seized by Portugal in 1415 — was struck specifically for colonial trade use, its low denomination suited to small transactions in territories where Portuguese commercial presence was expanding. Afonso V's reign saw sustained military engagement along the Moroccan coast, and the coin's design evolved through several die groups as production continued across multiple mints over decades. Group 3 is distinguished by the squared tower elements and four-battlement turrets, a detail that allows attribution to a specific production phase within the 1449–1457 window defined by Magro.