Portuguese India – Colonial Coins

The coins of Portuguese India form the largest and oldest numismatic corpus of Portugal’s former overseas territories, reflecting more than four centuries of continuous presence in the East. Following the conquest of Goa in 1510, during the reign of King Manuel I, a local coinage system was established to support regional circulation and consolidate Portuguese administration in the Indian Ocean. Over the centuries, the mints of Goa, Daman and Diu produced gold, silver, copper and tutenag coins, following the monetary reforms of the empire and mirroring political changes from the Avis dynasty to the Republican period. These issues are notable for their wide range of denominations, iconography adapted to the oriental context and manufacturing standards that evolved from manual striking to industrial production. The numismatic heritage of Portuguese India is one of the richest in the colonial world, encompassing Manueline, Philippine, Joanine, Liberal and Republican coinages, culminating in the final issues before the territory’s integration into the Indian Union in 1961. Coins issued after 1961 can be found under World Coins, in the section Asia – India.