Banknotes of the Former Portuguese Colonies

The Banknotes of the Former Portuguese Colonies category brings together the fiduciary issues produced for Portugal’s overseas territories, including Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea, Portuguese India, Macau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor. These banknotes reflect over a century of monetary circulation under Portuguese administration, with the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) acting as the main issuing authority for most territories between 1865 and 1974, covering banknotes, specimens, certificates and local issues. These items are of high historical and numismatic relevance, documenting the financial structures of the colonial period, the evolution of monetary policies and the distinctive visual identities of each territory. For collectors and researchers, they form an essential foundation for understanding Portuguese overseas monetary history and the diversity of ultramarine paper‑money issues.