1928 20 Escudos from Portugal

hfjacinto

Recent pick up is a 1928 20 Escudos. I actually have this coin in Raw (and much better struck but AU at best), but this MS63 came up at a good price so I decided to get it. Honestly after getting it, I wasn't impressed. Its very softly struck, looked much better in pictures. The hunt continues for a GEM example. I may or may not keep this one long term.

In the slab.

Issuer: Portugal
Issuing regime: Second Republic (1926-1974)
Type: Circulating commemorative coins
Year: 1928
Value: 10 Escudos (10 PTE)
Currency: Escudo (1911-2001)
Composition: Silver (.835)
Weight: 12.5 g
Diameter: 30 mm
Orientation: Medal alignment
Demonetized: Yes
References: KM579
Mintage:200,000

This coin commemorates the Battle of Ourique which took place on 25 July 1139, in which the forces of Portuguese count Afonso Henriques (of the House of Burgundy) defeated those led by the Almoravid governor of Córdoba, Muhammad Az-Zubayr Ibn Umar, driving the Moors from Northern Portugal.

And as to why it was issued on the 789th anniversary.

From a fellow collector

". Portuguese commemorative coins used to be minted to finance specific things with the profits.The 1928 10 escudos was minted to finance a monument to the battle. There had been a military coup in 1926 and Portugal was going through the commemorations of origins typical of those decades in europe. But the state was almost broke. So they issued a commemorative with a higher face value than the silver it contained. It had the same silver as the 50 centavos issued in 1912 to 1918."