Timor Escudo

One of the more peculiar aspects of the Timor Escudo is that it was minted in Lisbon using the same machinery and designs as Portuguese coins, effectively treating a distant colony as just another province on the mint floor.

This meant that coins struck between 1959 and 1975 for East Timor bore the Portuguese coat of arms and standard denominations, from 10 centavos up to 10 escudos, without any local symbols to speak of. They were produced in base metals like bronze and cupro-nickel, depending on the year, though exact compositions varied slightly with available stock.

Mintage figures are spotty; records from the era weren't always kept meticulously, especially for colonial issues. What we do know is that production tapered off as decolonization loomed, with the last coins likely circulating into the mid-1970s.

Some collectors hunt for the 50 centavos piece, which featured a simple wreath design that could pass for a metropolitan issue at a glance.

It's almost as if the mint was too busy to bother with customization.