MY COLLECTION - INDO PORTUGUESE COINS

CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY,
C/O COL GKS REDDY,

Secunderabad - 500 015.

Indo Portuguese

          Portuguese India also known by name "The state of India" (Estado da india). It was established in year 1505 and existed till 1961. Nova Goa was the capital of Portuguese india. In 1843 the capital was shifted to Panaji, then renamed "Nova Goa", when it officially became the administrative seat of Portuguese India. The first Portuguese encounter with India was on 20 May 1498 when Vasco Da Gama reached Calicut on Malabar Coast. Anchored off the coast of Calicut, the Portuguese invited native fishermen on board and immediately brought some Indian items.After India's independence from the British in 1947, Portugal refused to accede to India's request to relinquish control of its Indian possessions. Eventually, in December 1961, Indian military invaded Goa, Daman and Diu, where they were faced with insufficient Portuguese resistance.

          Goa, Damão and Diu issued their own coinages until the middle of the 19th century. Damão issued copper 3, 15, 30 and 60 réis coins until 1854 when the mint closed. Diu issued lead and tin 5 and 10 bazarucos together with tin 20 bazarucos, copper 30 and 60 réis and silver 150 and 300 réis and 1 rupia. The Diu mint closed in 1859.

          Goa issued the most diverse coinage of the three mints. In addition to tin bastardo, there were copper coins in denominations of 3, 4½, 6, 7½, 9, 10, 12 and 15 réis, ½ and 1 tanga, silver coins for ½ and 1 tanga, ½ and 1 pardau, and 1 rupia, and gold 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 xerafins. The Goa mint was closed by the British in 1869.

          Following the closure of the last local mint, coins were imported from Portugal beginning in 1871. This new coinage coincided with the reform of the subdivisions of the rupia. Copper coins were introduced in denominations of 3, 5, 10 and 15 réis, ½ and 1 tanga. In 1881, copper ⅛ tanga and silver ⅛, ¼, ½ and 1 rupia coins were introduced. Bronze replaced copper in 1901, whilst cupro-nickel 2 and 4 tangas were introduced in 1934, followed by ½ and 1 rupia in 1947 and 1952, respectively.

My Collection of Indo Portuguese Coins


My collection of Indo - Portuguese Coins is very Meagre, as very few coins are available in coin shops in Hyderabad, where I live. All the same, I decided to publish my collection and then keep adding any more coins that I may get in future

1/12 Tanga - Bronze - 1901

1/8 Tanga - Copper - 1886

1/8 Tanga – Bronze – 1903

¼ Tanga – Bronze – 1901

½ Tanga – Bronze – 1901

One Tanga – Copper – 1952

¼ Rupia  - Nickel – 1947

½ Rupia – Nickel – 1947

One Rupee – Silver – 1935

 One Centavo – Copper – 1917

Ten Centavos – Copper – 1959

30 Centavos – Copper – 1958

60 Centavos – Nickel – 1959

                                                         One Escudo – Nickel - 1958

                                                        Three Escudos - Nickel - 1959

Note - Some of the images of coins in my collection, have been taken from the Gallery to save on time & effort involved in photography & editing