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2½ ECU Infante Henrique
| Issuer | Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991 |
| Type | Fantasy coin |
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| Obverse description | The field displays a stylized radiant sun emanating rays from the upper centre, overlaid with a Gothic architectural element recalling the Tower of Belém, and a caravel under full sail to the right bearing crosses of the Order of Christ on its sails. The Portuguese royal coat of arms appears in the lower left field. A ring of twelve five-pointed stars encircles the inner design, referencing European unity. The legend PORTUGAL arcs along the upper rim, with the date 1991 at centre and the denomination 2½ ECU displayed in a cartouche at the lower right. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | PORTUGAL 1 9 9 1 2½ ECU |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of Portugal's ECU collector series, this piece commemorates Infante Dom Henrique — known internationally as Henry the Navigator — the 15th-century prince who organized and financed the early Portuguese voyages of Atlantic and African exploration from his base at Sagres. The ECU itself was a precursor accounting unit to the euro, and Portugal's use of it for commemorative issues in the early 1990s reflected the country's post-Carnation Revolution integration into European institutions, having joined the EEC in 1986.
The X# prefix in the reference indicates this is catalogued among Unusual World Coins rather than standard circulation issues — it was never legal tender in any transactional sense.