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60 Reis - João IV Countermarked 1/2 Tostão
| Issuer | Brazil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1663 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 60 Réis |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse retains the original design of the host 1/2 Tostão, typically displaying a cross pattée or royal Portuguese arms as struck under the original issuing monarch. The precise reverse type varies depending on the host coin's issuer, ranging from Manuel I through João IV. Surface wear and the irregular hammered flan obscure much of the original detail, which is characteristic of these revalidated circulating pieces. No additional countermark or official stamp appears on this side. |
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| Additional information |
João IV died in 1656, leaving Portugal mired in the long war of independence from Spain and chronically short of small silver. Brazil's colonial administration, facing the same shortage, was authorized to countermark existing Portuguese half-tostões — the 50 reis piece — revaluing them upward to 60 reis to keep fractional silver in local circulation rather than hoarded or exported. The countermark itself is the legal instrument; the host coin simply provides the silver.
Specimens vary considerably depending on the host coin's original condition and mint of origin, as coins from multiple Portuguese mints circulated in Brazil simultaneously.