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Tornês - Denis I Replica
| Issuer | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays a plain Greek cross within a raised inner circle, its arms of equal width extending to meet the beaded border of the inner ring. A circular legend in Gothic-influenced Latin lettering occupies the broad outer band, reading between two concentric raised borders. The design closely replicates the medieval hammered coinage style of the Tornês issued under King Denis I of Portugal (r. 1279–1325). The overall composition is austere and geometric, consistent with late 13th-century Iberian monetary iconography. |
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central device depicts the Portuguese royal arms: a cross formed by five escutcheons arranged in cruciform pattern, each escutcheon charged with five bezants (quinas), referencing the heraldic arms of the Kingdom of Portugal. The composition is enclosed within a raised inner circle. A circular Latin legend in Gothic lettering surrounds the central device within the outer border, bearing the name and title of King Denis I. The design faithfully reproduces the characteristic iconography of the medieval Tornês coinage of Portugal. |
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| Additional information |
The original tornês was introduced to Portugal by Denis I in the late 13th century, directly modeled on the French gros tournois of Louis IX — itself named for Tours, where it was struck from 1266 onward. Denis adopted the type as part of a broader effort to modernize Portuguese coinage along western European lines, and it circulated widely enough to anchor commercial transactions for decades after his death in 1325.
This replica was struck in aluminium-nickel bronze plated rather than the silver of the medieval prototype.