| KM 17 Modern
Portuguese
10 Reis Coin Minted for the Archipelago of Azores, Depicting Ornate Coat
of Arms and Wreath with Floral Motif
Obv. Ornate Coat of Arms of the Kingdom
of Portugal / CARLOS I REI DE PORTUGAL .
Rev. Wreath surrounding denomination of
10 in floral motif, date below
This coin was minted for the Azores by the
Kingdom of Portugal under King Carlos I. The Azores is a remote volcanic
archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean consisting of nine major islands.
The Islands extend for more than 373 miles and are situated 950 mi. from
the shores of Portugal. The Azores are actually the peaks of some of the
tallest mountains in the world.
The previously uninhabited islands were
discovered in the 14th century and were first colonized around 1439. The
settlers came primarily from the Portuguese Provinces of Algarve and
Altentejo. These remote islands were settled sporadically over hundreds of
years thus their culture, dialect, cuisine and traditions vary
considerably from island to island.
In 1976, the Azores became the Autonomous
Region of the Azores (Região Autónoma dos
Açores) and now possesses its own Political and Administrative
Statutes and has its own Government. The Azores has a population of
roughly 250,000 and its main industries are farming, cattle, fishing and
tourism.
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