W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

Descriptive Outline of the Coinages of Europe 525
stances, and the loss of territory and prestige, lent a new
complexion to the coinage. The labours of Fernandes,
whose work we have found of great value, carry down the
chronological annals to 1855. Among the most attractive of
the more modern productions are the pieces in gold and
silver with the busts of Maria I. and II., the former sometimes
associated with Pedro III. ;
the silver coroa of Maria
II., 1837, was engraved by W. Wyon and it must be confessed
that the engravings in the Memoria of many of
;
these
coins do imperfect justice to the originals.
It might have been supposed, from the close neighbourhood
and affinity between the two Powers, that the coinages
of Spain and Portugal would have borne a general resemblance
to each other throughout ; but we meet with such
occasional imitations only as occur in those of countries less
immediately connected by position and origin, and the series
before us may be said to have steadily preserved
its individuality.
The castles on the shields obviously commemorate
the ancient feudal bond with Castile ;
and there is a curious
correspondence between the crowned initial type of John II.
of Castile (1406-54) and John II. of Portugal (1481-95).
Otherwise the numismatic systems have very little in
common. That of the Portuguese was unusually simple in
consisting to a large extent of multiples
of the unit in all
x^vi>i jiiiJU**^
Joao V., 1706-50. Piece of 20,000 reis, 1726: gold.
metals from to
i|-
20,000 reis. The earlier monetary
economy, before the larger and heavier denominations so
characteristic of this series were brought into use, embraced :