Portugal 1686 400 reis
This specimen was lot 73199 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2023), where it sold for $960. The catalog description[1] noted, "PORTUGAL. 400 Reis (Cruzado), 1686. Lisbon Mint. Pedro II. PCGS EF-45. Exceedingly well-produced and preserved, this Portuguese crown offers uncompromised eye appeal. An even coat of charcoal gray tone in the fields emboldens the already strong details, and a gentle underlying luster grants the coin an elegant aesthetic." This is the scarcer of the two dates recorded, 1686 and 1687. This type was struck 1686-87 during the reign of king Peter II (1683-1706). It is one of the earliest machine-struck coins of Portugal, which commenced using the screw press about 1677. This coin is the closest thing to a crown issued by Portugal during this period. The 400 réis or pinto was struck until 1837, when Portuguese currency was reformed and decimalized. Despite being marked "400", it was valued at 500 réis by a decree of 1688.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 17.3 g, 0.917 fine silver, 36 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 145.2, Davenport 4389, Gomes-73.01.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Alberto Gomes and Francisco Antonio Magro, Moedas Portuguesas e do Território Que Hoje é Portugal: Catálogo das Moedas Cunhadas para o Continentes e Ilhas Adjacentes, para os Territórios do Ultramar e Grão-Mestres Portugueses da Ordem de Malta, 6ª Edição, Lisbon: Associação Numismática de Portugal, 2013.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
Link to:
- (1683-1706) XXXX reis = ½ tostão
- (1683-1706)-P XXXX reis = ½ tostão
- (1683-1706) 120 réis = 6 vinténs
- (1686-88) XXXX reis = ½ tostão
- 1687 400 réis = cruzado
- Coins and currency dated 1686