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1/2 Macuta - José I
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda (Lisbon Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1762-1770 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 19 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | .1770. ·AFRICA·PORTUGUEZA MACUTA 1/2 |
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| Additional information |
The macuta was a unit of account already in use among Kongolese traders before the Portuguese codified it into struck copper coinage for Angola in the 1760s. José I's administration issued these pieces specifically for the Luanda trade economy, where silver circulated poorly and copper held practical purchasing power. The timing coincided with the Marquis of Pombal's broader colonial reforms, which sought to rationalize commerce across Portuguese overseas territories following the catastrophic 1755 Lisbon earthquake and its economic aftershocks.
Copper coinage of this type saw hard use in West African markets and survives most often well-worn.