EUROPEAN COINS AND MEDALS PORTUGAL - ID: 2508

Submitter: Jürg RICHTER

Added: 2014-09-30

Source: IAPN member contribution

Region: PORTUGAL

Ruler: Johann III., 1521-1557.

Metal: Gold

EUROPEAN COINS AND MEDALS
PORTUGAL
KÖNIGREICH
Johann III., 1521-1557.
Metal: Gold

Portugues n.d. Porto Mint. Struck circa 1580-1590 in nothern Europe, probably in the same well known mints of Hamburg and Magdeburg. Friedberg 25.
Special mention is deserved to those German forgeries of the same era in which the popular gold Portugaloeser was minted in the name of German, Danes and Poles cities, principalities and duchies. The two main features of those German forgeries are, firstly, the word “PVRTVGALESE” engraved on the obverse legend (in German Portugaleser means Portuguese, a national identity, so the obverse legend, instead of -John the third king of Portugal- in Latin, reads -John the third king of Portuguese-, mixing Latin and German words). Besides that, the name of Portugal has been always written in Latin as PORTVGALIE (with POR, never with PVR). Secondly, the floriated reverse around the Cross of Christ is a feature never found on Portuguese coins of the period, but it was widely used on the gold Portugaloesers struck in Hamburg and in Magdeburg circa 1578-1580-1590.
I am sending attached a photo of one of the three identical German forgeries known to exist today in Portuguese and Brazilian collections. Please keep it in your archive. Once again, I wish to thank your important contribution to my study and for the photographs you kindly allowed me to use.

António Trigueiros: Altogether, I have cataloged and studied 34 specimens from the reign of king Emanuel I (issued since 1499 up to 1521) and 57 coins from king John III (issued since 1522 up to 1538, and restrikes in 1553-1556). Among these I found a crude forgery of the first type of John III (ref. IOA.09) and three forgeries of the second type, manufactured circa 1580-90 in northern Europe, probably in the same well known mints of Hamburg or Magdeburg (ref. IOA.56 58).