Tostão of Manuel I
Portugal
1495–1521
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$8.14
Based on Silver spot price ($80.83/oz) · 90.0% purity · 3.48g
Updated 5:37 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Portugal |
| Years Minted | 1495–1521 |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | 3.48 g |
| Diameter | 24 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Design
Obverse
Depicts the crowned arms of Portugal.
Reverse
Features a cross, likely the Cross of the Order of Christ.
History & Notable Facts
The Tostão of Manuel I bore the armillary sphere on its obverse, a navigational tool that doubled as a bold emblem of Portugal's expanding empire during the late 15th century.
This silver coin, typically weighing around 3.5 grams, was struck at the Lisbon mint under strict royal oversight. Manuel I reformed the currency to standardize weights and purities, helping fund voyages that reached India and Brazil. Variations exist; some planchets show traces of earlier alloys, hinting at recycled materials from trade goods.
We don't know the exact mintage figures, as records from that era are fragmentary. What survives are mostly specimens dug from shipwrecks or found in colonial archives.
One oddity: enthusiasts sometimes mistake it for a lucky charm, but that's just wishful thinking on their part.
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