Portuguese India 1888 1/4 tanga
This specimen was lot 34498 in Heritage sale 3067 (Long Beach, September 2018), where it sold for $264. The catalog description[1] noted, "India: Portuguese Colony - Goa. Luiz I 1/4 Tanga 1888 Fine Details (Damaged) NGC. A rare date from this scarce series that comes almost universally worn. All of the significant features of the design remain intact." This specimen is from a four year type struck for the Portuguese colonies in India. Once extensive, Portuguese dominions had dwindled by the 1800's to the enclaves of Goa, Diu and Damao. Issues up to 1952 were based on the rupee (one rupia = 16 tanga) and struck at the British controlled mints of Bombay and Calcutta. The year 1881 saw the only complete series of silver minted, including the eighth, quarter, half and one rupia. Copper issues included an eighth, quarter (shown here), half and one tanga.
Recorded mintage: 7,242,000 for 1881-86. This is the scarcest date.
Specification: 6.4 g, copper, 25.5 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 308.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2018 September 6-11 Long Beach Expo World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction #3067, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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