SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE
Three coins of 1929
From São Tomé and Príncipe I
have three different
Copper-Nickel coins from 1929.
São Tomé and Príncipe 10 Centavos
1929 (scaled to approximately 250dpi)
São Tomé and Príncipe 20 Centavos
1929 (scaled to approximately
250dpi)
São Tomé and Príncipe 50 Centavos
1929
(scaled to approximately 250dpi)
These coins all have the following
design:-
Obverse – portrait of a woman in Phrygian cap facing right (the
personification of the republic) with “REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA” and the
date between two spacers below-around.
Reverse – the Portuguese coat of arms with two floral scrolls, “S.
TOMÉ E PRINCIPE” and then in two lines the denomination (“10
CENTAVOS”, “20 CENTAVOS” or “50 CENTAVOS”).
There are a few further points to note regarding the obverse…
There is the incuse signature “REGO GR” near the base of the portrait.
This is the signature of engraver Alves do Rego. The letters “GR” here
are an abbreviation for “gravador” which is Portuguese for “engraver”.
This is similar to how on modern Italian coins you can sometimes see a
signature comprising a name followed by "INC.". This abbreviation is
for “incisore”, the Italian word for “engraver”.
For each denomination the spacers, one to each side of the date “1929”,
are different. Their shapes are as follows:-
10 Centavos – four lobes forming an “X” shape
20 Centavos – faint solid diamond with a large raised dot at each corner
50 Centavos – large four-part diamond spacer with small central raised
dot
You should soon notice that the portrait on these coins is rather
similar to that on the Portuguese 50 Centavos and 1 Escudo coins of
1927 to 1968. However on these Portuguese coins the portrait is right
facing, not left facing; there are no other design elements below the
portrait which gets very close to the rim; finally - on the Portuguese
coins there is "SIMÕES"
(for "José Simões de Almeida") in raised lettering as an
additional signature, close to “REGO GR” on the portrait.
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