An interesting, stylized ship

Portugal

(Portugal in dark green, next to Spain with all of Europe in light green. From Wikipedia)

Last time we looked at Portugal, was for a coin from 1949. There are similarities and differences in the country and the currency nearly 50 years later. During the second half of the 20th century, Portugal was simultaneously the centre of its colonial empire and the periphery of Europe. The “Estado Novo” Dictatorship which started in 1926 was overthrown in the Carnation Revolution of 1974. The currency was still the same. 100 Centavos to 1 Escudo, although centavos coins were no longer issued by this time. The last 10 and 50 Centavo coins were issued in 1979. In 1986, the first regular 50 Escudos coin was issued (There had been 5 circulating commemorative 50 Escudos coins issued between 1968 – 1972). In 1986 Portugal, along with Spain, joined the European Economic Community. This paved the way for those countries to adopt the Euro on its release (for accounting in 1999, with coins and notes in 2002). The Escudo was retired at the same time, with the last Escudo coins and notes issued in 2001.

Obverse

The obverse features: “The arms of Portugal dividing the date with the denomination below, engraver’s name and the mintmark on the sides of denomination.”

We have previously looked a little at the coat of arms of Portugal. That previous coin only featured the central escutcheons. These five smaller coat of arms in the centre, represent the 5 wounds of Jesus Christ when crucified. On this coin, we also have seven castles around. These are considered a symbol of the Portuguese victories over the Moorish enemies, by D. Afonso III, who conquered seven enemies fortress in Algarve in 1249.

Reverse

The reverse features: “A ship or stylized boat at sail left with four fishes below”. Also worth noting, that this side is “anepigraphic” – or with an image, but no text.

I wondered if I could figure out just WHAT ship or boat this might be. I found “Ships of the Discoveries“, which seemed promising, although nothing which looked quite like our ship, perhaps an Armada Caravelle? It has a large square sail at the front and at least one triangular sail behind. I started to try to figure out WHAT those sails were, and to that end I found a very interesting resource: ShipsOnStamps.org, which, as the name indicates, features stamps with ships on them!

Do you know what kind of ship might be on the coin? Do let us know below!

During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese explorers were at the forefront of European overseas exploration, which led them to reach India, establish multiple trading posts in Asia and Africa, and settle what would become Brazil, creating one of the most powerful empires. As early as 1317, King Denis made an agreement with Genoese merchant sailor Manuel Pessanha, laying the basis for the Portuguese Navy and the establishment of a powerful Genoese merchant community in Portugal.

Today, Portugal is a vital maritime hub in global logistics. Its ports are key gateways for international trade, catering to a wide array of industries, including freight forwarding, logistics, manufacturing, and e-commerce.

What is your favourite coin featuring a ship? Here are some coins with ships I have shared, but there are many more to choose from! In fact, there are over sixteen-thousand with the “Boat or watercraft” tag on Numista. Let us know your favourite below!