Tostão of João III

The Tostão of João III was struck in copper, a pragmatic shift from the usual silver that likely stemmed from metal shortages amid Portugal's global explorations.

This made it a workhorse for everyday transactions in a burgeoning empire, though the coins often showed irregular strikes due to the era's rudimentary minting techniques. Weighing around 3 to 4 grams, depending on the die, it bore the king's monogram and a cross, symbols that tied it to the crown's authority. We don't know the exact mintage figures; records from that period are scarce and often unreliable.

Portuguese coppers like this one sometimes turned up in colonial hoards, far from Lisbon. Historians suspect some were melted down for scrap during later crises.

It's a coin that reminds you how currency adapts—or doesn't—to reality.