Escudo de D. Maria I

During the reign of Queen Maria I of Portugal, from 1777 to 1816, the country minted various silver and gold coins amid political turmoil, including the Napoleonic invasions that began in 1807. Some designs featured the queen's portrait or royal arms, reflecting the era's craftsmanship in Lisbon's mint, though exact types varied. If you're referring to a coin called an "escudo," that term typically denotes Portugal's currency introduced in 1911, so it's unlikely for this period—perhaps you're thinking of a misnamed piece like a tostão or cruzado. Records from the time are spotty; many were lost in later fires or conflicts, leaving us with estimates rather than certainties. One dry note: historians often puzzle over why invaders bothered with coinage when the real prizes were ports and palaces. What we do know is that these coins circulated through war-torn Europe, their metal sometimes sourced from recycled foreign imports, a practical hedge against scarcity.