Manuel I came to the throne in 1495 inheriting a Portuguese economy flooded with gold from West African trade, particularly from the São Jorge da Mina fortress on the Gold Coast. The cruzado — named for the cross that had already become synonymous with Portugal's crusading ambitions and oceanic expansion — was the coin that moved that wealth. Vasco da Gama's return from India in 1499 only accelerated the flow.
The Lisboa mint's output during this reign was substantial enough that Manueline cruzados circulated far beyond Iberia, appearing in English, Flemish, and North African trade records by the early sixteenth century.
Manuel I came to the throne in 1495 inheriting a Portuguese economy flooded with gold from West African trade, particularly from the São Jorge da Mina fortress on the Gold Coast. The cruzado — named for the cross that had already become synonymous with Portugal's crusading ambitions and oceanic expansion — was the coin that moved that wealth. Vasco da Gama's return from India in 1499 only accelerated the flow.
The Lisboa mint's output during this reign was substantial enough that Manueline cruzados circulated far beyond Iberia, appearing in English, Flemish, and North African trade records by the early sixteenth century.