Portuguese 2000 Reis Pendant

Description:

During the 1500s to the 1700s, the great seafaring Catholic nation of Portugal had a global empire that included possessions in Africa, Asia and South America. Brazil was discovered in the year 1500 by Admiral Pedro Alares Cabral and claimed for Portugal. Sugar production exported to Europe was the most important Brazilian colonial product until the early 18th century. The discovery of gold in the late 17th century led to a gold rush with people from other parts of the colony and Portugal flooding the region. The large portion of the Brazilian inland where gold was extracted, became known as the Minas Gerais “General Mines.” Gold mining in this area became the main economic activity of colonial Brazil during the 18th century and the Portuguese Empire soon became extremely rich.
This rare colonial gold coin was minted in Rio de Janeiro in 1778. The obverse side features a Catholic cross within a quatrefoil with the date ANNO 1778 and the legend ET • BRASILIĆ • DOMINI "Lord of Brazil." The reverse shows the royal crowned Portuguese coat of arms with the legend MARIA • I • ET • PETRUS • III • D • G • PORTUG • REGES " Maria I and Peter III, by the Grace of God, Regents of Portugal." Maria I was Queen of Portugal from 1777–1816 and her husband Peter III was nominally king. She was the first undisputed female ruler of Portugal and the first monarch of Brazil. During her reign, many of the national institutions in Brazil were created that eventually led to the independent country of Brazil.