Puts on public display a selection of coins minted in Portugal and Portuguese India during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, forming part of the Museu Casa da Moeda (Casa da Moeda Museum) collection. Minted for circulation in areas that formed part of the Portuguese Empire in Asia, these coins are among the most emblematic evidence of the dynamics that, during the course of around three hundred years, helped to build up the networks of power for which Portugal’s presence in the Indian Ocean was known.
At the dawn of modern times, several cities played significant roles in the consolidation of Portugal’s presence in the Orient. Goa, Daman, Diu, Kochi, Vasai and Malacca were just some of the cities that stood out the most in the expansionist project embarked upon by King Manuel I during the first few decades of the 16th century. In addition to centres of political power, these cities were also major hubs in the economy’s globalisation process, supplying the network that linked different cultures all over the planet. The main coin mints associated with Portugal’s presence in the Orient also operated in these cities.
It was with Afonso de Albuquerque that the most significant steps were taken towards consolidating Portugal’s presence in the Orient: the overthrow of the Sultans of Bijapur, which facilitated the establishment of the Portuguese colonies in Goa, and the conquest of territories from the Sultans of Guzerat, such as Daman, Salcette, Mumbai, Vasai and Diu. D. Lourenço de Almeida was the first to arrive in Ceylon. Subsequently, the Portuguese also gained control over Macau, the main trading port with China and Japan on the Nagasaki route. By the middle of the 16th century, the Portuguese had guaranteed their presence in several locations in the Orient, controlling sea routes and exercising control over several small territorial enclaves.
Multiples and fractions of these coins, often identified on their respective faces, show that these pieces were struck for a range of different economic purposes, a clear indicator of a lively economy. Portugal at the time had a strong currency, with which it financed activities related to the government and forts, trading posts and colonies in the Orient, as well as diplomacy and trade with other European and Asian powers.
The coin collection on exhibition here has a long history. Significant numbers of these coins were collected in the times of King Luís, and were on exhibition in the Royal Office at the Ajuda Palace. The creation of the Portuguese Mint fund, after Portugal had become a republic, led to the transfer of these coins to the collection safeguarded by this institution. The Museu Numismático Português (Portuguese Numismatic Museum) took charge of all of these acquisitions and, over several decades played a vital role in preserving and raising awareness of these coins.
The visit to the exhibition is complemented by an appealing brochure containing clear and rigorous language. This brochure presents the essentials of what the visitor must know to understand the importance of the coins exposed.
