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Tostão 'L-S' - João IV 1st series, Lisbon
| Issuer | Portuguese Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1641 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device consists of a large Cross of the Order of Christ (Cruz de Cristo) with florated arms, rendered in relief and enclosed within a beaded circular border. The arms of the cross terminate in decorative fleurs, and small pellets ornament the quadrants between the arms. The circumferential legend, partially legible due to the irregular hammered flan, reads IN HOC SIGNO VINCES — the motto attributed to Emperor Constantine, adopted as a device on Portuguese royal coinage of this period. |
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| Mintage | ND (1641) L-S |
| Additional information |
João IV issued this coin within months of the December 1640 revolt that ended sixty years of Iberian Union and restored the Portuguese crown after Habsburg rule. The monarchy was cash-strapped from the moment of accession — Spain had drained Portuguese treasury resources, and the new king needed circulating silver quickly to pay troops and signal legitimacy to a skeptical European audience. The Lisbon mint moved fast.
The Gomes reference J4 56.01 marks this as the first series, distinguished from later emissions by the L-S mint signature pairing specific to Lisbon's initial post-Restoration production run.