20 Escudos 1984 Portugal

This 20 Escudos coin from 1984 commemorates the 10th anniversary of Portugal's Carnation Revolution, a swift overthrow of the Estado Novo regime without a single shot fired.

Struck in .925 silver at the Lisbon Mint, it features Luís de Camões on the obverse and a symbolic design of the revolution on the reverse, including carnations and the date 1974. The edge is reeded, a common choice for security in that era, though it didn't stop counterfeiters entirely. Mintage figures are murky; official records from the 1980s are incomplete, so I won't guess.

It's a solid example of Portuguese numismatics in the late escudo period, weighing 17 grams and measuring 33 millimeters across. Not every coin needs to be a masterpiece, but this one's straightforward appeal has kept it in circulation among collectors. As for myths, I've heard tales of hidden treasures in these—pure nonsense, of course.