Coin of the Week: 1986 Portugal 20 Escudos

Obverse (Image: Portuguese Coat-of-Arms)

Reverse (Image: Nautical wind-rose)

Before introducing the Euro in 2002, Portugal's currency was the escudo, with 100 centavos equaling 1 escudo. The escudo had been in use since 1910, when the Portuguese monarchy was abolished and a republic was established.

The 20 escudos coin depicts the Portuguese coat-of-arms on the obverse. The coat-of-arms was adopted in 1911 and is based on the coat-of-arms used by the Portuguese Kingdom in the middle ages. The border consists of 7 castles, representing the Moorish castles conquered by the Portuguese Kingdom during the Reconquista. In the middle, the coat-of-arms has 5 escutcheons (or shields), forming the shape of a cross. Due to the numerous changes to the coat-of-arms over the centuries, there is no official explanation why 5 escutcheons are depicted (there had been as many as 11). Some scholars interpret them as the five wounds of Jesus Christ.

Since Portugal was once a powerful seafaring nation, the reverse of the 20 escudos coin shows a nautical wind-rose, or wind-star. The wind-rose was used as a compass by ancient seafarers before the magnetic needle compass was introduced. The 16 points represented the major winds that blew around the Mediterranean Sea. North was depicted by a fleur de lis, and east was shown as a Christian cross, indicating the direction of Jerusalem from Europe.