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XX Réis 'Vintem' - João IV Porto mint
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda de Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1643-1656 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field bears a large Roman numeral 'I' (denoting the value mark associated with the vintem denomination), flanked by two pellets or roundels on either side, all beneath a small crown. Below the numeral appear the letters 'X P X', a Christogram-derived device used on contemporary Portuguese billon coinage. The surrounding legend, partially visible on the irregular flan, carries the king's royal title. The overall execution is characteristic of the rough, hand-struck style of the Porto mint during the reign of João IV. |
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| Reverse lettering | .REX.PORTVGALIE. ºIº X P X |
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| Additional information |
João IV's accession in 1640 ended sixty years of Iberian Union, and the Porto mint — largely dormant under Spanish administration — was rapidly reactivated to supply coinage for a kingdom that had spent decades watching its monetary output routed through Castilian priorities. The vintem denomination filled an awkward gap in everyday commerce that larger silver had long abandoned to foreign and debased currency.
The billon alloy used here, barely shy of ten percent silver, reflects genuine fiscal pressure: Portugal was simultaneously funding the Dutch alliance, garrisoning the Alentejo frontier, and financing Brazil's defense against the WIC occupation.