Portugal 1940 50 centavos

Steve Album sale 38, lot 3568

This specimen was lot 3568 in Stephen Album sale 38 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2020), where it sold for $89.25. The catalog description^[1] noted, "PORTUGAL: Republic, 1940, a fantastic quality example! PCGS graded MS66." In 1910, Portugal, having ousted her king, dropped the réis and adopted the escudo, divided into 100 centavos. The specimen shown is a better date of a type struck 1927-68. It superseded an aluminum-bronze type struck 1924-26 (KM 575) and in turn was replaced by a smaller bronze coin struck 1969-79, after which the denomination was suspended. The escudo was retired in 1999 when Portugal joined the euro. This bust of Liberty was also used on the escudo of 1927-68 and several colonial coins. Portugal, then under the dictatorship of Antonio Salazar, did not waste any time on idle mottos such a "Liberty," "Freedom," or "Justice."

Recorded mintage: 2,000,000.

Specification: 4.5 g, copper-nickel, 22.8 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM-577.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th 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]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 38, featuring the Dabestani Collection of Persian Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2020.

Link to:

• 1938 50 centavos
• 1940 10 centavos
• 1940 escudo
• 1940 2½ escudos
• 1940 5 escudos
• 1940 10 escudos
• 1944 50 centavos
• Coins and currency dated 1940