ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · JFVP · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cruzado of Manuel I
Portugal
1495–1521
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$500.46
Based on Gold spot price ($4,831.225/oz) · 90.0% purity · 3.58g
Updated 2:59 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Portugal |
| Years Minted | 1495–1521 |
| Composition | Gold |
| Weight | 3.58 g |
| Diameter | 22 mm |
| Shape | Round |
Design
Obverse
Features the crowned arms of Portugal.
Reverse
Depicts a cross, likely the Cross of the Order of Christ.
History & Notable Facts
The Cruzado of Manuel I prominently featured the armillary sphere, a navigational instrument that doubled as the king's personal emblem, reflecting Portugal's burgeoning empire.
This gold coin, struck in Lisbon between 1495 and 1521, used metal sourced from African mines—likely a byproduct of the era's explorations. Weighing around 3.5 grams, it bore inscriptions in Latin and Portuguese, including the monarch's name and titles. Designs varied slightly over the years, with some issues showing a cross potent, but records of exact variants are spotty due to archival losses.
We don't know the precise mintage figures; those might have burned in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. What is clear is that these coins circulated widely in trade routes, from India to Brazil. As for myths about their mystical properties, I've handled enough to know they're just metal, not magic.
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