narper Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 Hi! As I spend my weekend classifying some portuguese tokens I've bought on the last times, I remembered to show some of them here, as they are almost unknown abroad. Hope you like them. After the Great War (1914-18), the monetary and economic crisis led to the profusion of countless private issues, most on paper, but also coin-like, as these porcelain tokens issued by the Municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia (a town located on the southern bank of the Douro River in front of Oporto) in 1921, which were produced by the Empresa Electro-Cerâmica, situated in Candal, Vila Nova de Gaia. Values issued were 1, 2, 4 and 10 centavos. At least four distinct series are known to exist. Two similar series dated 1921, both with medal alignment, only distinguishable by the surface finish, been one matte and the other glazed. The other two series are non-dated, produced in the same period, with larger diameter and coin alignment, both showing the manufacturer’s brand. In one case a green star, and on the other a EC monogram. From the latter one I do not have example. Although referred by Mário Almeida in the introduction of the Catálogo Geral de Cédulas de Portugal (Low Value Emergency Paper Money of Portugal General Catalogue) they are not listed, as the propose of the work remain on paper money and not on coin-like issues. Similar issues as are listed as part of lot 260, Numisma auction 67, Lisbon 22JUN2006. CMG initials stand for Câmara Municipal de Gaia (Gaia Municipal Council). Matte surface series 1921 porcelain ↑↑ Manufactured by Empresa Electro-Cerâmica, Candal - Vila Nova de Gaia 1 centavo Ø 18 mm 1,97g 4 centavos Ø 20 mm 1,76g 10 centavos Ø 22 mm 3,24g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narper Posted March 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 Glossy surface series 1921 porcelain ↑↑ Manufactured by Empresa Electro-Cerâmica, Candal - Vila Nova de Gaia 4 centavos Ø 20 mm 1,97g 10 centavos Ø 22 mm 2,78g Manufacturer´s green star brand series n/d (1921) porcelain glossy surface ↑↓ Manufactured by Empresa Electro-Cerâmica, Candal - Vila Nova de Gaia 4 centavos Ø 24 mm 3,46g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 Narper, these "coins" are pretty nifty --but aren't they fragile and breakable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 Neat tokens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 I really enjoy that era of Portuguese numismatics, and these porcelain pieces are something I was not aware of previously. I have seen the notgeld - emergency notes a lot, but never the porcelain tokens. Thank you very much for sharing. Muito obrigado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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