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Tostão ' -V' or ' V- ' - Manuel I Lisbon mint
| Issuer | Kingdom of Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1504-1521 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Teston (Tostão) (100) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a bold Cross of the Order of Christ at center, with splayed arms of equal length set within a raised inner circle, rendered in high relief characteristic of Manueline-era hammered coinage. Three small pellets appear above the cross arms at the top of the inner circle. A beaded inner border encloses the cross device, with the surrounding circular legend reading IN HOC SIGNO VINCES ('In this sign you shall conquer'), a motto of Christian conquest widely associated with Portuguese overseas expansion under Manuel I. The legend is separated by five-pointed star stops and rendered in retrograde or mirrored Latin characters on the die. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The tostão was introduced under Manuel I as part of a broad monetary reform tied directly to Portugal's expanding Atlantic and Indian Ocean trade networks — the crown needed reliable, high-value silver coins that foreign merchants would accept without dispute. At .916 fine, these pieces were struck to a standard that held up well against contemporary European issues.
The Gomes references E1 55 and E1 56 distinguish the two positional variants of the mint mark — the V appearing either before or after the cross on the reverse. Whether this reflects sequential die preparation or overlapping production runs at the Lisbon mint remains debated among specialists.