'Of Portugal Moneys'
Of Portugal moneys.
The gold moneys are | ||||||
The five Pistoel piece of fine gold of the Ducat stampt | 10000 | Res, or | 250 | Reals | ||
The Doppio Moeda or double Pistole | 4000 | 100 | ||||
The Moeda or Pistole or double Milt or Milres | 2000 | 50 | ||||
The My-moeda or half Pistole or Milt or Milres | 1000 | 25 | ||||
The silver monies are | ||||||
Pataques or Patagons coyned for | 500 | 12 | ||||
Crusados or Ducats | 400 | 10 | ||||
Half Ducats | 200 | 5 | ||||
Testons or five-Vintain pieces | 100 | 2 | ||||
Four | } | 80 | 2 | |||
Three | Vintain pieces | 60 | 1 | |||
Two | 40 | 1 | ||||
One | 20 | |||||
Demivintains of silver & copper | 10 |
Their moneys were lately raised in the proportion of 5 to 6 so that the Moeda now goes for 2400 Res & the Crusado for 480 Res & the other pieces in proportion & some of the old pieces (as the Crusados) upon their raising were markt with a stamp, those unmarkt going at the old value. But the new moneys are still coyned with the old number of Res. So the Moeda is still coyned with 2000 upon it & Crusado with 400 tho they go for 2400 & 480 Res. The Portugals reccon by 100ds 1000ds & millinos of Res putting the Mark after thousands thus 5. 734 340 Res, that is five millions seven hundred thirty & four thousand three hundred & forty Res. Or five thousand seven hundred thirty & forty Miles & three hundred & forty Res. They exchange in Crusados or Ducats of 400 Res. They reccon a Spanish Pistols at 3000 Res & a Spanish Pistre at 750 Res. Therefore as 750 to 480 or 25 to 16 so is a Piastre (= 4s 6d) to a Crusado = 2s 10d. And as 3000 to 2400 or 5 to 4 so is a Spanish Pistole (17s. 0) to a Moeda = 13s. 7d.
Crusados & Crusados of the present King have on one side a plain cross almost like pieces of 8 with this inscription In hoc signo vinces: on the other side the kings arms the date & the number of res 400 with this inscription Petrus II D. G. Rex Portug. Well coynd & curiously edged. Ten Crusados & two half Crusados were in weight & assay as follows
Crusados | 1687, | 1687, | 1688, | 1688, | 1689, | 1689, | 1689, | 1689, | 1691, | 1691. | ||||||||||
Weight | 11dwt. | 2gr, | 11. | 3, | 10. | 22, | 11. | 4 | 11. | 7, | 11. | 3 | 11. | 4, | 11. | 5, | 11. | 0, | 11. | 3. |
Assay worse | 1dwt | 1ful. | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Half Crusados | 1689, | 1690. | ||||||||||||||||||
weight | 5. | 11, | 5. | 10. | ||||||||||||||||
Assay worse | 1dwt |
The Crusados weighed one with another 11dwt 3gr. And when fresh out of the Mint 11dwt 4gr or 11 4 being lightned about a grain one with another by wearing. If they be supposed 11dwt 4gr in weight new out of the mint & 1dwt worse then standard they will be worth 34 pence sterling standard when new out of the Mint, & in exchang they will be worth 34 pence, or 2s 10d. This is the value of 480 Res & therefore 400 Res are worth 2s. 4d, & 100 Res is worth 7d
A Crusado coynd for 400 Res 1664 by Alfonsus king of Portugal being much worn weighed 11dwt 3gr. The stamp like the former but not edged.
Three Portugal pieces of John IIII king of Portugal stampt & edged something like the former without date or the number of Res weighing together 21dwt 2gr, that is one with another 7dwt 0gr much worn so as to be lightned by wearing between 6 & 12gr. whence they seem to be of the 400 res pieces. One of them was worse 1dwt another 1dwt
<198v>A Moeda de Ouro dated 1700 & beautifully coyned, weighed exactly 3dwt 10gr or 82gr. It is counted for 2400 Res but there is stampt upon it only 2000 Res. At 2d a grain its worth 13s 8d, but if this gold be but of 16 times more value then the same weight of our standard silver, {illeg} worth 14s. 1d. The Doppio Moeda or double Moeda weighs (one piece with another 6dwt 21gr. And the half Moedas Moedas & double Moedas are one with another legr. better then standard. Or rather, the Doppio Moeda weighs one piece with another 6dwt 21 grains, as I found by examining 30 parcels of Doppio Moedas & Moedas of a thousand Doppio Moedas & two-Moedas in a parcel whence a Moeda is worth 13s 10d & a Doppio Moeda is worth 27s 8d.
Source
MINT 19/2/198, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UKca. 1702, c. 767 words.