Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Tostão 'o-o'– João III 3rd Type, Porto
| Issuer | Kingdom of Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1555-1557 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central field displays the crowned Portuguese royal arms, comprising the quinas (five escutcheons arranged in cross formation, each bearing five bezants) within a bordure of castles, the whole surmounted by a royal crown in high relief. The shield is rendered in the characteristic hammered style of mid-16th century Manueline coinage. Flanking the shield at mid-height are the Porto mint marks, consisting of two small annulets (o-o), one to each side of the arms. The circular Latin legend IOANES III R PORTVGA surrounds the central device, partially visible along the coin's irregular flan. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (1555-1557) o-o - 12 known lettering variations |
| Additional information |
João III's third tostão type from Porto represents one of the more elusive emissions of his long reign, produced in the final years before his death in 1557. The Porto mint operated intermittently and with less output than Lisbon, making its issues consistently scarcer across all types. The 'o-o' designation identifies the Porto mintmark configuration specific to this type — a detail that separates it from superficially similar pieces and matters considerably for attribution.