File:Portugal SB818-21473o.jpg

This specimen was lot 21473 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Extremely Rare 1/2 Justo of the "Perfect Prince" PORTUGAL. 1/2 Justo, ND (1481). Joao II (1481-95). PCGS MS-62 Secure Holder. Fr-18; Gomes 18.03. John II of Portugal (3 March 1455 - 25 October 1495), also called the Perfect Prince, is known for re-establishing the power of the Portuguese throne, reinvigorating its economy, and renewing its exploration of Africa and the Orient. After his official accession to the throne in 1481, John II took a series of measures to curtail the overgrown power of his aristocracy and to concentrate power in himself. John II famously restored the policies of Atlantic exploration, reviving the work of his great-uncle, Henry the Navigator. The Portuguese explorations were his main priority in government, pushing south the known coast of Africa with the purpose of discovering the maritime route to India and breaking into the spice trade. John II died at Alvor aged 40 and without legitimate children. He was succeeded by his first cousin Manuel I. The nickname the Perfect Prince is a late description and refers to Niccolo Machiavelli's work The Prince. John II is considered to have lived his life exactly according to the writer's idea of a perfect prince. Nevertheless, he was admired as one of the greatest European monarchs of his time. This coin, an EXTREMELY RARE relic of his reign, is among the finest seen, with bright luster over the evenly-struck, wave-free planchet. An exciting opportunity for the specialist."