Portuguese India King Charles I 1/4 Tanga Bronze Coin 1901-1903 AD

Portuguese India, King: Charles I, Reign: 1889–1908 CE, Years of Minting: 1901–1903 CE, Denomination: 1/4 Tanga = 3 Réis, Composition: Bronze, Weight: 6.48 grams, Diameter: 25.5 mm, Reference: KM# 15, Gomes# C1 03, About Very Fine, Scarce.

Obverse: Right-facing bust of King Charles I with the surrounding legend “CARLOS I REI DE PORTUGAL” and the date “MCMI” (1901) below, designed by engraver Venâncio Alves and bordered by a toothed rim.

Reverse: Crowned Portuguese royal coat of arms with the legend “INDIA PORTUGUEZA” surrounding it and the denomination “1/4 TANGA” below, enclosed by a toothed border.

Issued in 1901 during the reign of King Charles I, the 1/4 Tanga bronze coin represents an important denomination of the monetary system of Portuguese India in the early twentieth century. Portuguese India comprised territories administered by Portugal on the western coast of the Indian subcontinent, with Goa serving as the principal center of Portuguese administration. The coin was valued at 3 Réis and was intended for small everyday transactions within the Portuguese Indian territories. Its obverse features the right-facing portrait of Charles I, accompanied by the Portuguese royal title “CARLOS I REI DE PORTUGAL,” while the reverse displays the crowned Portuguese coat of arms and the inscription “INDIA PORTUGUEZA,” clearly identifying its colonial origin. Struck in bronze at the Imprensa Nacional – Casa da Moeda in Lisbon, Portugal, the coin reflects the centralized production of Portuguese Indian coinage outside the colony. The 1901 date belongs to the short 1901–1903 issue and was struck during the final years of Charles I’s reign. Following his assassination in 1908, the Portuguese monarchy continued under Manuel II until the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in 1910. Today, the 1/4 Tanga remains a historically significant collectible, representing Portuguese colonial rule in India and the monetary history of Portuguese India.