Portugal Coin Weight 'Three Pound Twelve' 1706 to 1750

Before reading about Anthony's neat coin weight from Portugal, direct your attention to the *amazing gold coin* pictured further down this page. It is a Portuguese 8 escudos. The corresponding coin in the Portuguese colony of Brazil is a Brazilian 12800 reis, sometimes called a Double Joe after Portuguese king Joao VI, who ruled from 1706 to 1750. Joao is sometimes spelled John, Jean, or Ioannes.

The gold coin in our big picture below sold in a Heritage 2012 auction for $110,000 US dollars. What a beauty. CoinQuest thanks Heritage Auctions for use of their coin photo.

Anthony's coin under consideration, with the large inscription THREE POUND TWELVE is actually a coin weight made of brass, not a coin. Coin weights were used to check coins for proper weight. The double joe weighs 28.6 grams, almost a full troy ounce.

Some coin weights, like Anthony's, omit the image of the king and use the scrolled crown pattern on both sides. The value is not affected. More important than the pattern is the condition of the coin weight, as cited below.

Here are some approximate catalog values for the brass coin weights, not the gold coins they were used to check.

worn: $20 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $350
fully uncirculated: $1500

The dependency on condition is especially strong with this piece. These catalog values apply to coins free of spots, stains, scratches, cleanings, nicks, dings, and similar troubles. The coin weight in our 'three pound twelve' picture has some black spots, which lower value below 'average circulated' price. Use our Terminology page for a discussion of the many factors that convert catalog values into actual buy and sell values.
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