Silver 10 Escudos 1971

This 10 Escudos coin from 1971 marks one of the final silver issues struck under Portugal's Estado Novo dictatorship, just before the regime's collapse in 1974.

Weighing in at about 14 grams of .650 fine silver, it features a design by João de Sousa Araújo, showing the Portuguese coat of arms on the obverse and a simple value inscription on the reverse. The series ran from 1971 to 1986, reflecting the country's shift from authoritarian rule to democracy, though this particular year predates the Carnation Revolution. Mintage figures for 1971 are murky; official records from the Lisbon Mint were spotty even then.

I once traded a handful of these for a better lunch in Madrid, but that's numismatics for you—practicality over pomp.

As for variations, some specimens show weak strikes, likely from worn dies, but that's common for circulation coins of the era. Portugal phased out silver in its coinage shortly after, prioritizing cheaper alloys as inflation bit.