Item number: A4698

Reference number: KM#201

Year: AD 1730

Material: Gold

Size: 12.2 x 12.2 mm

Weight: 1.072 g

Manufactured by: Casa da Moeda de Lisboa

Provenance: Fuchin 2026

This is a 400-réis Cruzado Novo gold coin, minted at the Lisbon Mint in AD 1730 and issued in the name of King João V of Portugal.

The obverse bears the inscription “IOAN V”, referring to João V, with quatrefoils flanking the legend. Above is the Portuguese royal crown, while feather-like sprigs, possibly palm branches, flank both the crown and the inscription. In Christian theology, the palm, being tall, luxuriant and evergreen, symbolises the exalted nature of Jesus Christ. Below, the numeral “400” indicates the denomination of 400 réis.

The reverse depicts the cross of the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Real Ordem Militar de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo), an order established in AD 1319. In recognition of the role played by the Knights Templar during the Reconquista, King Dinis I of Portugal secured the establishment of the new order, which inherited much of the Templars’ property and membership in Portugal after the suppression of the Templars elsewhere in Europe. Between the four arms of the Cross of the Order of Christ are four smaller crosses, which served as the mint mark of the Lisbon Mint. Surrounding the design is the Latin motto “IN HOC SIGNO VINCES”, meaning “In this sign, you shall conquer”. The phrase is associated with the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who, according to tradition, experienced a vision of the cross before battle and received these words as a divine message. He subsequently adopted the Chi-Rho (☧) as a military standard and achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. A comparable tradition later became associated with Afonso I, the first King of Portugal, who was said to have received a vision and divine revelation from Christ before defeating a numerically superior Muslim force at the Battle of Ourique. Below, the date “1730” indicates the year of issue.

The real gradually developed into the principal monetary unit of the Portuguese kingdom from the late Middle Ages. During the reign of Afonso V, gold cruzados valued at 400 réis began to be issued. Thereafter, the crowned royal arms on the obverse and a cross on the reverse became characteristic features of Portuguese coinage.

In the second half of the fifteenth century, the influx of large quantities of gold from West Africa, together with the expansion of overseas trade, contributed to Portugal’s economic prosperity, a development also reflected in its gold coinage. The cruzado became an important Portuguese gold coin, comparable in both value and weight to the ducat, which circulated widely across Europe at the time. By the sixteenth century, however, Portugal was experiencing a serious outflow of gold. High-fineness domestic coins continued to leave the kingdom, while foreign gold coins of lower value flowed into the country. Meanwhile, the Crown faced substantial expenditure on the royal household, dynastic marriages and other commitments. To address this loss of gold, João III introduced a monetary reform in AD 1538, and the fineness of the cruzado was subsequently reduced on several occasions.

The cruzado was traditionally an important Portuguese gold coin, its name being closely associated with the cross depicted on the coin. As Portugal long maintained a monetary system in which gold and silver coinage circulated concurrently, the value of the cruzado was generally expressed in réis. In AD 1688, in response to changes in the relative values of gold and silver, the Portuguese government issued a decree raising the legal value of circulating gold and silver coins by 20 per cent. The cruzado, previously valued at 400 réis, could consequently circulate at 480 réis and came to be distinguished as the “Cruzado Novo”. Nevertheless, the coin itself continued to bear the denomination “400”.

In the late seventeenth century, following the discovery of vast gold deposits in Brazil, the colony temporarily became the world’s most important source of gold. As international trade expanded rapidly during the eighteenth century, Portugal participated more extensively in the growing network of intercontinental economic exchange by extending its colonial settlements there. The resulting influx of gold not only supplied Portugal with large quantities of precious metal but also substantially strengthened royal finances. Traditionally, the Crown was entitled to levy the quinto, or “royal fifth”, amounting to 20 per cent of precious-metal production. Meanwhile, private miners shipped considerable quantities of gold back to Portugal, and the resulting growth in imports generated additional customs revenue. The influx of overseas wealth made the first half of the eighteenth century an “Age of Gold and Baroque Splendour” in Portugal, providing an important material foundation for the strengthening of royal authority, major building projects, and the flourishing of Baroque art and court culture under João V.

João V ascended the throne in AD 1706. His political outlook was firmly rooted in absolutism and centralised royal authority, and he regarded Brazil as an overseas possession essential to Portugal’s prosperity. In European politics and court culture, he looked particularly to the great monarchies of France, Austria and Spain as models.

物件編號: A4698

參考書目編號: KM#201

年代: 公元 1730 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 12.2 x 12.2 mm

重量: 1.072 g

製造地: 里斯本鑄幣廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2026

這是一枚公元1730年，由里斯本鑄幣廠鑄造，以葡萄牙國王若昂五世之名發行的，面額400里爾的新克魯薩多（Cruzado Novo）金幣。

金幣的正面「IOAN V」即「若昂五世」，幣文的兩側點綴著四葉草。其上為葡萄牙王冠，王冠與幣文的兩側翼護著羽狀的嫩枝，可能是棕櫚。在神學中，因其高大、茂盛、長青，而代表著耶穌基督的崇高。下方「400」標示了面額400里爾（real）。

錢幣背面為主耶穌基督皇家軍事騎士團（Real Ordem Militar de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo）的十字，該騎士團於公元1319年創設。由於聖殿騎士團在收復失地運動期間的貢獻，葡萄牙國王迪尼什一世以此名義重建了在歐陸多數地區遭迫害的聖殿騎士團。基督騎士團十字的四臂間，另有四個較小的十字，是為里斯本鑄幣廠的標記。周圍環繞著拉丁格言「IN HOC SIGNO VINCES」，意為「憑此標誌，你將得勝」。出典自君士坦丁大帝，相傳他在戰前見到十字異象，並聽得此語，此後以十字☧為旗，果然在米爾維安大橋戰役大勝。此外，亦相傳首位葡萄牙國王阿方索一世，也經歷了基督的顯現與啟示，從而在奧里基戰役中以寡擊眾，大勝穆斯林。下方「1730」，則標示了發行年。

里爾自中世紀晚期逐漸發展為王國的基本貨幣單位。阿方索五世統治期間開始發行面額400里爾的克魯薩多（Cruzado）。此後，以加冠王室紋章置於正面、十字置於背面的設計逐漸成為葡萄牙錢幣的重要傳統。

15世紀後半葉，來自西非的大量黃金及日益擴張的海外貿易促進了葡萄牙的經濟繁榮，並反映在當時的金幣發展之中。克薩魯多不僅成為葡萄牙重要的金幣，其價值與重量亦足以與當時廣泛流通於歐洲的達克特（Ducat）相提並論。然而，到了16世紀，葡萄牙開始面臨嚴重的黃金外流。高成色的本國金幣持續流出王國，市場上則湧入價值較低的外國金幣；與此同時，王室亦須承擔宮廷、王室婚姻及其他龐大支出。為應對黃金流失，若昂三世於公元1538年推動貨幣改革，克魯薩多的成色亦歷經多次調低。

克魯薩多傳統上是葡萄牙的重要金幣，其名稱與錢幣上的十字圖案密切相關。由於葡萄牙長期採行金、銀貨幣並行的貨幣制度，克魯薩多的價值通常以里爾計算。公元1688年，葡萄牙政府因應金銀相對價值的變動，以法令將流通中的金、銀幣法定價值提高20%；原值400里爾的克魯薩多因此可按480里爾通用，並逐漸以「新克魯薩多」之名加以區別。儘管如此，錢幣本身仍保留「400」的面額標示。

17世紀末，巴西發現規模龐大的金礦後，一度成為世界上最重要的黃金產地。隨著18世紀國際貿易迅速發展，葡萄牙亦藉由擴大在巴西的殖民開拓，進一步參與日益增長的洲際經濟交流。巴西黃金不僅為葡萄牙提供大量貴金屬，也大幅增強王室財政。按照傳統，王室有權徵收稱為 quinto 的「五分之一稅」，取得貴金屬產量的20%；與此同時，私人採礦者亦將大量黃金運回葡萄牙，而由此帶動的商品進口又進一步增加王室的關稅收入。大量海外財富的流入，使18世紀上半葉成為葡萄牙的「黃金與巴洛克繁華時代」，亦為若昂五世強化王權、推動大型工程及發展巴洛克藝術與宮廷文化提供了重要的物質基礎。

若昂五世於公元1706年即位，其政治理念具有鮮明的君主專制與中央集權色彩，並將巴西視為維繫葡萄牙繁榮的重要海外領地。在歐洲政治與宮廷文化方面，他尤其以法國、奧地利及西班牙等強大君主國為參照。