Came across this coin today. It's 46 (mm) | 38.4 (g) From what I can tell it's a 1 Macuta (but I'm not positive about that as its weight differs from what Numista and others list 43 (mm) | 36.5g) question: Can anyone familiar with Portuguese Angola Macuta validate this is a 1 Macuta? I see a similar specimen on eBay at 37mm 21.73g (this may be mislabeled as it could be a 1/2 Macuta but not sure). Its description is: This is a large, heavy, and relatively nice copper coin that started out in 1763 as a "One Macuta" from "Portuguese Angola" or "Portuguese West Africa" as it is also called. By an edict of March 21, 1837, they authorized a Crowned Arms Countermark that doubled the value, so now, after the counterstamping, this coin was a “Two Macuta”. "Standard Catalog of World Coins" (1801-1900) by Krause-Mishler. #51.1. on (1701-1800) #12.
I would try to figure out how these coins were struck, mainly what kind of collar they used. Could have been planchet control and they found out some of these were not within tolerance and heavy. Just a thought. I like the look of authenticity on yours. Do you have any photos of a non counter stamped one?
I'm not able to validate ot. I looked on NGC, but they done even have a weight listed. But, I really like it!
This probably won't help but I have the 1814 1 macuta. I don't have it where I can access it right now but I'd say mine is about half dollar size. That's not to say that they might not have been bigger when yours was made. Your counterstamp is right where the 1 would be as you can see.
That 1/2 Macuta is 31mm but mine is 46mm (huge -- can probably skip it across a pond ), however, looks very similar. (also, referencing the eBay link in the original post - I would guess that this is really what the person on eBay is selling)
I have this similar coin. The host coin is 1/2 Macuta dated 1786 so a little bitter later than yours. I have found that on the early Macuta coinage there is a fair amount of variations in planchets. It doesn't appear they cared much about consistency.
makes sense. I find it fascinating that a counter stamp was placed on a coin 51 years after it was minted. I also wonder -- If they counter-stamped all of these coins in 1837 are the items without counter stamps a rarer find?
FWIW from ChatGPT: Why did the Portuguese counterstamp coins from Angola in 1837 In 1837, Portugal was facing a severe financial crisis, and the government was struggling to raise funds to cover its expenses. To address this issue, the Portuguese government decided to issue a decree that authorized the counterstamping of coins from its African colonies, including Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde. The counterstamping of coins involved adding a new mark or stamp to an existing coin to change its denomination or value. In this case, the Portuguese government added its own mark to the coins from Angola, increasing their face value and making them legal tender in Portugal. The main objective of this measure was to increase the money supply in Portugal by bringing in more coins without having to mint new ones. This was a cost-effective way to boost the economy and help the government pay off its debts. Additionally, the counterstamping of coins from Angola helped to strengthen the ties between Portugal and its African colonies, as it demonstrated Portugal's economic and political control over these territories. Overall, the counterstamping of coins from Angola in 1837 was a measure taken by the Portuguese government to address its financial crisis and increase the money supply in Portugal, while also reinforcing its authority over its African colonies.
