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São Tomé de 8 Xerafins - João Prince Goa mint
| Issuer | Portuguese India (Goa Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1819 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 8 Xerafins = 4 Rupias |
| 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 |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A bold floriated cross pattée occupies the centre of the field, its four arms terminating in trefoil or clover-shaped finials in the Indo-Portuguese style. The denomination numeral '8' appears to the upper left and the date split as '18' to the lower left and '19' to the lower right of the cross, with the letter 'X' (for Xerafins) to the upper right quadrant. The entire design is enclosed within a wide border of prominent radial denticles. The composition is characteristic of the late colonial Goa mint production under the regency of João. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The xerafim was a unit of account deeply embedded in Goa's hybrid monetary system, where Portuguese colonial administration ran parallel to local Konkani commercial practice for centuries. By 1819, the Estado da India was a shadow of its former self — the spice trade long surrendered to the Dutch and English, the territory reduced to a coastal enclave increasingly dependent on Lisbon for administrative direction. Gold issues of this denomination from João's reign as Prince Regent are scarce survivors; most colonial gold of this period circulated hard and was frequently melted when exchange rates shifted.