Pattern coinage from Casa da Moeda de Lisboa in 1800 occupies a strange historical position: Maria I had been declared legally incapacitated in 1792 following a mental collapse, leaving her son João as prince regent, yet official coinage continued under her name until her death in 1816. This piece is catalogued under Gomes E4-02, suggesting it was among several experimental strikes probing denominations or alloy standards that were never adopted for circulation.
The silver fabric for a peça-denomination pattern is itself the curiosity — the peça was conventionally a gold issue.
Pattern coinage from Casa da Moeda de Lisboa in 1800 occupies a strange historical position: Maria I had been declared legally incapacitated in 1792 following a mental collapse, leaving her son João as prince regent, yet official coinage continued under her name until her death in 1816. This piece is catalogued under Gomes E4-02, suggesting it was among several experimental strikes probing denominations or alloy standards that were never adopted for circulation.
The silver fabric for a peça-denomination pattern is itself the curiosity — the peça was conventionally a gold issue.