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São Tomé of 1 Xerafim - João V Goa mint
| Issuer | Portuguese India |
|---|---|
| Year | 1714-1728 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Crowned Portuguese royal arms (castles and spheres) occupying the central field, struck in hammered style with characteristic irregularity. The escutcheon displays the quinas (five shields arranged in a cross) surmounted by a royal crown, rendered in low relief with visible die wear consistent with hand-struck production. The mint mark letters G-A appear divided in the field to the left and right of the arms, identifying the Goa mint and the assayer. The flan is irregular and slightly polygonal in outline, typical of hammered gold coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
João V's reign saw Goa operating as the administrative and commercial hub of the Estado da India, but the mint there functioned under persistent strain — chronic shortages of bullion, competition from locally circulating Dutch and Mughal coinage, and a workforce subject to the rhythms of monsoon trade rather than royal demand. The xerafim denomination itself had roots in the earlier tangazinha system inherited from pre-Portuguese Goa, the name likely derived from the Arabic "ashrafi."
The fourteen-year window of this issue reflects administrative continuity rather than a single production run — output was almost certainly sporadic.