1000 Escudos 1978 Portugal

This 1000 Escudos coin from 1978 features the Portuguese coat of arms encircled by olive branches, a direct nod to the Carnation Revolution's peaceful overthrow of the Estado Novo regime just four years earlier.

That design choice was practical; the revolution itself was bloodless, so why not keep the coin simple too. Struck in Lisbon by the Casa da Moeda, it contains 0.650 fine silver and was issued in both proof and uncirculated finishes. Mintage figures are murky—official records from that era are spotty, possibly lost in bureaucratic reshuffles after the regime change.

We know it circulated briefly before Portugal's currency overhaul, but exact numbers remain unclear. As for myths, I've heard tales of carnations being pressed into the dies, which is nonsense; it's just a standard commemorative.