SAINT THOMAS & PRINCE. St. Thomas & Prince Island - Portugal. 400 Reis, ND (1854). Pedro V. PCGS AU-58 Gold Shield; Countermark: Unc Details.KM-not listed; Gomes-not listed; Vaz-not listed; BES-not listed. Issued by decree of 3 November 1854. Portuguese crown countermark applied to the obverse of a 1771 Portugal 400 Reis of Jose I. An strongEXCEEDINGLY/strongstrong RARE/strong countermarked colonial issue, unlisted in the major references that we are aware of and probably strongUNIQUE/strong. The countermark is somewhat unevenly applied, but exhibits the same characteristics as the 2 Reales also in this sale. Gomes (2013 ed., pp. 633-5) lists hundreds of coins with this countermark, but none in gold, while the SCWC does not mention this countermark at all. In fact none of the reference material that we are aware of lists any gold for this issue. Of the greatest degree of interest and importance to the advanced collector of Portuguese and colonial issues, or to the student of countermarked pieces.
