Portugal 50 centavos 1947

The coin's story

This 50 centavos coin in nickel silver, an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel, belongs to the series struck from 1927 to 1968. The escudo, divided into 100 centavos, replaced the real on 22 May 1911, after the proclamation of the Republic, at a rate of 1,000 réis to the escudo. In 1927, this nickel silver replaced the aluminium-bronze of the first 50 centavos and 1 escudo coins, which had worn badly. The obverse bears the effigy of the Republic designed by the sculptor José Simões de Almeida, whose bust became the official image of the regime as early as 1912, it is signed SIMÕES and REGO GR, for the engraver Domingos Alves do Rego. The 1947 date has 6,998,000 pieces. The coin remained in circulation until the changeover to the euro and ceased to be legal tender on 28 February 2002.