Portugal 100 escudo – Fernando Pessoa

The coin's story

This cupronickel 100 escudos coin commemorates the 50th anniversary of the death of the poet Fernando Pessoa, born in Lisbon in 1888 and died in the same city in 1935. Pessoa wrote under several names, heteronyms each with its own personality, the main ones being Alberto Caeiro, Ricardo Reis and Álvaro de Campos. Mensagem, published in 1934, is the only book of poems in Portuguese he published in his lifetime. The striking was authorised by Decree-Law 17-A/86 of 6 February 1986, which describes on the reverse four superimposed effigies of the poet facing the sea, with a sailing ship and birds. The sculptor José Aurélio signs the obverse. Although the coin bears the date 1985, the catalogues class it as an issue of 1986, Numista gives 480,000 pieces for circulation and 15,000 in brilliant uncirculated quality.