São Tomé 10 Centavos

This 10 centavos coin from São Tomé was struck in silver that likely came from Portuguese mines in Africa, tying it directly to the colony's resource extraction.

That silver content, around 0.835 fine, made it a practical choice for circulation on an island known for cocoa plantations and heat, though the metal tarnished quickly in the humidity. Mintage figures vary by year, but records from the 1920s are spotty; some were probably lost in Lisbon's bureaucratic shuffle. The obverse showed the Portuguese coat of arms, while the reverse simply stated the denomination—straightforward, as colonial coins often were.

Design-wise, it's unadorned compared to later issues, which some might call bland. Not that I'm complaining; after thirty years, I've seen enough embellished edges to appreciate the plain ones.

Production ceased in 1933 as the escudo system evolved, leaving these as minor relics of Portugal's overseas empire. We don't know exactly how many reached circulation, but that's numismatics for you—full of gaps.