On January 1 st 2002, just a few moments after midnight, my father and I drove to an ATM machine to see our country’s new currency. Portugal, along with 10 other E.U. countries, had adopted the Euro, the new European single currency.

Initially introduced in 1999, the economy ran on both currencies until, in 2002, a six-month transition period to ultimately phase-out the former “Escudo” [sh-kudoo] began.

Although the mere mention of the defunct Escudo may cause bouts of nostalgia still today, the Euro presents certain features that you may have not yet realized or, at least, not in a conscious way.

The Euro paper-currency (i.e. notes or bills) has been designed using historical gates and bridges, emphasizing the connection and openness between E.U. member-states.

The coins, however, are personalised for each country. The German Eagle, the Celtic Harp and the Spanish Cervantes are just some of the examples you might find rattling in your wallet as you travel through Europe.

The Portuguese-minted coins pay homage to the first king of Portugal: Dom Afonso Henriques. The general / monarch led the birthing state for approximately 50 years – still to this day one of the longest-serving monarchs in the country and laid the foundations of the state. Portugal’s independence (in 1143) took place during his reign.

Known as “The Conqueror” or “The Founder”, Afonso Henriques is mostly known for conquering almost half of the current territory of the country after revolting against his mother (come to our Classical Walking Tour to find out more!). However, this would require a big deal of documents and bureaucracy, and when the King signed any given document, he would seal it with a wax seal.

Sealing documents to preserve and legitimise their authenticity has been a usual practice since Roman clerics and Byzantine emperors. This practice stretched out through Christendom until it reached the westernmost point of Europe, precisely, during the 12 th century.

According to scholars, not a single one of Afonso Henriques’ seals reached our time intact, not only due to the passage of time, but also because many documents originally sealed by “The Founder” have been, according to the same sources, opened and re-sealed by his son Afonso II. This is not unusual since, at the time, confirming their predecessor’s decrees was a standard practise for newly acclaimed kings.

Having noted this fascinating dilemma in Portuguese sigillography, we’re sure that our reader still wants answers, and we won’t disappoint. The website of the Portuguese Mint and Official Printing Office (INCM) declares that the sculptor Vítor Santos was inspired by the different seals of the first king for the design.

So, according to the INCM, the Royal Seal of Dom Afonso Henriques is the symbol in all Portuguese Euro coins, albeit with different dates: the 1134 seal is featured on the 1, 2 and 5 cent coins; the 1142 seal on the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins; and the 1144 seal on the 1 and 2 euro coins.

They might be all worth the same, but the Portuguese coins are definitely our favourite!

All the best!

Pedro Fiel