Portuguese India King Charles I Silver 1 Rupia Lisboa Mint 1904 AD Historical Coin

Portuguese India, Ruler: King Carlos I (Charles I), Period: 1903-1904 CE, Denomination: 1 Rupia (16 Tangas = 192 Réis), Composition: Silver (.920), Weight: 11.53 grams, Diameter: 30.5 mm, Mint: Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal), Reference: KM#17, Gomes#C1 05, Schön#5, Grade: As per Images, Rarity: Scarce Type.

Obverse: Head of King Carlos I facing right, surrounded by the Latin inscription “CARLOS I REI DE PORTUGAL,” with the engraver’s name V. ALVES and date below. 

Reverse: Crowned Portuguese shield within a decorative wreath, surrounded by the inscriptions “INDIA PORTUGUEZA” and “UMA RUPIA.”

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Portuguese India maintained its own monetary system under Portuguese colonial administration. The rupia was an important denomination, subdivided into 16 Tangas or 192 Réis, and was used in commercial transactions across Portuguese-controlled territories in India. Silver coinage bearing the portrait of the reigning monarch and the Portuguese royal arms reflected the authority of the crown and the administration’s monetary traditions. Coins minted in Lisbon were produced using modern minting technology and circulated throughout Portuguese India, particularly in Goa and other Portuguese settlements.