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Dinheiro - Afonso II
| Issuer | Royal Mint of Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1211-1223 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Dinheiro |
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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 | Central device depicts a stylized castle or tower motif within a circular border, characteristic of early Portuguese medieval coinage. The design is rendered in a primitive, abstracted style typical of 13th-century hammered billon issues. A pellet or annulet is visible at the center of the design. The surrounding circular legend reads PORTVGAL, though lettering varies across die varieties. The overall strike is irregular, consistent with hand-hammered production of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Afonso II's reign was consumed almost entirely by conflict with the Church — he was excommunicated twice, and Pope Honorius III placed Portugal under interdict in 1220, suspending all religious services in the kingdom. That his mint continued operating through this period reflects less administrative order than the basic fiscal necessity of funding ongoing wars with his own siblings over territorial inheritance.
The billon content here is notably debased even by contemporary Iberian standards, a debasement that accelerated under Afonso II as royal finances deteriorated.