Cape Verde Escudo

The Cape Verde Escudo coins, minted from 1914 onward, often bore designs identical to those of metropolitan Portugal, including the effigy of the reigning monarch, as if the islands were just another Lisbon suburb.

This approach saved the mint time and money, but it meant Cape Verde's unique culture got short shrift on its own currency. Denominations ranged from bronze 10 centavos to silver 2½ escudos, with variations in metal composition reflecting global shortages—copper-nickel alloys appeared in the 1950s when silver grew scarce.

Mintage figures for specific years are spotty; records from the colonial era weren't always kept meticulously. Still, these coins circulated widely in the archipelago, serving fishermen and farmers alike until independence in 1975.

Collectors sometimes chase the rare 1940 overdates, though they're not as mythical as some claim. As for me, after three decades in this field, I've seen enough to know that every coin has its dull side—much like a escudo flipped in the Cape Verde sun.