Catalog
1/2 Macuta - Maria II Countermark 'CROWNED SHIELD' over '1/4 Macuta, José'
| Issuer | Angola |
|---|---|
| Year | 1837 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Gomes#M2 03, KM#49.1 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | JOSEPHUS·I·D·G·REX·P·ET·D·GUINE· |
| Reverse description | The reverse bears the circular legend ·AFRICA·PORTUGUEZA· surrounding the central denomination inscription MACUTA 1/4, with the host coin date (1762, 1763, or 1770/1771 depending on the variety) also present in the field. Superimposed upon this face is the countermark applied by royal edict of March 21, 1837, consisting of a small crowned Portuguese shield struck into the coin's surface to double its face value from 1/4 to 1/2 Macuta. The countermark is applied in accordance with the monetary reform decreed under Queen Maria II. The legend and denomination of the original host coin remain legible around the countermark. The overall strike is typical of Portuguese colonial copper coinage, with characteristic flat fields and bold lettering. |
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| Additional information |
In 1837, the Portuguese colonial administration in Angola undertook a systematic countermarking program to revalue and reauthorize copper coinage already in circulation. The old José-era quarter macutas were struck with a crowned shield punch, doubling their official tariff to the half macuta denomination. This was a fiscal expedient — not a recoining — driven by chronic copper shortages and the administrative difficulty of supplying fresh colonial currency from Lisbon at any reliable pace.
Two principal countermark varieties exist, distinguished by the crowned shield punch size and placement, with KM#49.1 denoting the more commonly encountered application.