Tostão of João IV

The Tostão of João IV was minted from silver that often included recycled metal from Spanish coins, a practical nod to the spoils of the Portuguese Restoration War.

This made for coins that were both functional and symbolically defiant, weighing around 9.6 grams and valued at 100 réis. They featured João IV's portrait on the obverse and the Portuguese coat of arms on the reverse, complete with the armillary sphere—a design choice that echoed the nation's maritime past while asserting its newfound independence. Production occurred mainly in Lisbon, though exact mintage figures are murky; records from that era were spotty, and many were destroyed in later fires.

Variations exist, with some strikes showing crude edges from hurried die work amid the conflict. It's a coin that handled the rigors of 17th-century trade without much fuss.

As for myths, I've heard tales of hidden treasures involving these, but let's not kid ourselves—most ended up in circulation, not buried hoards.