2.50 Escudos Pattern

Portugal's Estado Novo regime, consolidated under Salazar by 1933, moved quickly to standardize colonial coinage across its African territories. This 1935 pattern for Mozambique was part of that broader administrative tightening — a test piece evaluating design and specifications before committing to a full colonial issue. It was never approved for circulation.

The Gomes reference R E5.01 confirms its status as the sole recorded pattern variety for this denomination and year. Surviving examples are essentially institutional survivors — pieces retained by the Lisbon mint or acquired directly from official sources, not coins that passed through colonial commerce.