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5 Centavos
| Issuer | Banco Nacional Ultramarino |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO NACIONAL ULTRAMARINO EM S. TOMÉ CINCO CENTAVOS MOEDA CORRENTE LISBOA, 19 de Abril de 1918 O GOVERNADOR (Translation: National Overseas Bank in St. Tomé Five Centavos Currency Lisbon, 19 April 1918 The Governor) |
| Reverse description | Black letterpress on pale yellow-green underprint. The central vignette, set within a circular frame, presents a sailing ship at sea under a clouded sky, encircled by a ribbon bearing the bank's motto. A large decorative anchor is positioned at the base of the composition, flanked symmetrically by denomination numerals '5 CENTAVOS' within oval cartouches at left and right, the whole framed by elaborate acanthus scrollwork. |
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| Comments |
The Banco Nacional Ultramarino operated as a colonial issuing bank, and this 1918 emergency fractional note was produced in direct response to a severe coin shortage that gripped Portugal and its overseas territories during the First World War. Bronze and nickel coinage effectively vanished from circulation as metal was hoarded and diverted — small-denomination paper filled the gap across the Portuguese-speaking world.
The printer, Typographia Annuario Commercial, was a Lisbon commercial press better known for trade directories than currency work. That choice alone signals the urgency of the issue.