In the following lines, we would like to introduce you to a coin from our 2011 autumn auction that is steeped in history.
A little history
Portugal, the former maritime and trading power, can look back on over 500 years of colonial history. Up until the 17th century, the small country acquired colonies in America, Africa, Arabia, India, South East Asia and China. The story behind our coin begins in Africa, or rather on the so-called Portuguese Gold Coast, where the Portuguese undertook exploratory expeditions under Afonso V, “the African”, as early as the 15th century and established several trading bases on the Gulf of Guinea.
The trade in ivory, serfs and gold flourished, which prompted the Portuguese to mint a large number of gold coins in various sizes, of which the heavy “Português”, weighing approx. 35g, was to achieve international renown. This heavy gold coin, which was struck from Guinea gold, also became famous in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. In the 16th century, the rich Hanseatic merchants used this coin as a model for their own “Portugieser”, as they were generally called in German lands. The calculation was simple for the people of Hamburg. Such a heavy Portuguese weighed around 35 grams. That was pretty much equivalent to a 10 ducat piece. Thanks to their trade relations, the Hamburgers were also able to provide the necessary amount of gold.
But it was not only the weight that served as a model: the cross on the obverse of the “Português” was also adopted in a modified form. Instead of the Portuguese coat of arms, the coat of arms of Hamburg was used, and the inscription on the coin was also changed. The inscription in the inner circle around the Hamburg coat of arms provides an indication of the source of inspiration. Unlike the other inscriptions on this coin, it was not written in Latin but in German script. It reads: “NACH PORTVGALIS SCHROT VND KORN”.
The coin
Our coin has another remarkable and interesting detail: Directly next to one of the three city wall towers on the coat of arms side is an incised “X” in the right-hand field. This stands for the Roman numeral 10 and is intended to signal to the observer of this coin at first glance and without the hassle of weighing it that this is a 10 ducat piece.
Incidentally, from the middle of the 17th century, Portuguese coins were no longer minted as coins but as medals. The traces of these coins and medals have survived to this day. Since 1956, the Senate of the City of Hamburg has awarded a so-called constitutional Portugaleser made of gold to mark anniversaries of service and state visits.
ContaCt
Do you also own such a piece, or do you have a coin collection that you would like to sell? Then contact us now. Our Head of Numismatics, Mauritius Faber, will be happy to advise you.
Mauritius Faber
Head of Numismatics
Toggenburgerstrasse 139 | CH-9500 Wil, Switzerland
Phone 0041 71 923 77 44 | info(at)rapp-auktionen.ch