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Ceitil - João III Group 2 - Castle with wall in two bodies
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1522-1536 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Ceitil (⅙) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A stylized castle depicted in two distinct wall bodies rises above a representation of the sea rendered as wavy lines in the lower field, a design characteristic of the ceitil coinage tradition. The castle, rendered in a schematic medieval style typical of hammered Portuguese copper coinage, occupies the central field within a circular border. The surrounding legend, subject to numerous die variations, runs along the periphery and identifies the issuing monarch. The overall strike is irregular and weakly defined in areas, consistent with the crude hammered technique employed for this low-denomination circulating coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | + IOHANES : 3 : R : P : A : D: G |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The ceitil was among the lowest denominations in circulation during João III's reign, but its reach extended far beyond Portugal proper. These coins circulated heavily in Portuguese North Africa — Ceuta in particular, from which the denomination almost certainly takes its name — where they served as the practical currency of garrison towns and trading posts. João III's reign saw increasing strain on those African holdings, and by the 1540s Portugal would begin abandoning several of them entirely.
The "Group 2" classification distinguishes the castle rendered with its wall divided into two distinct bodies, a die characteristic used to separate issues that are otherwise difficult to sequence chronologically within the 1522–1536 window.