Help identifying medieval coin with cross and 5 globules

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to identify a very old coin I found. Here are the details:

Weight: 3g

Diameter: 23.08

Material: Possibly copper or bronze, oxidized (colors: green, dark/light brown, some orange)

Shape: Round but irregular, slightly bent and chipped

Strike: like hammered

Revers: (clearest side) A cross dividing the field into five distinct bubbles (one central and four surrounding). Each bubbles contains five dots. Everything is surrounded by a ring and a partial inscription, including a mysterious « T » like a character with a descending arms and a base (He is not special compared by the other but just it’s the only character still visible). The cross and the bubble style strongly resemble medieval Spanish maravedí coins.

Avers: (worn side) Faint central figure or design (maybe a face or animal head). Symmetrical curves on both top corners, could be horns or a decorative headdres. Entire image is hard to interpret due to corrosion and water but there is also some characters: LUISGD.(?).

I suspect it might be a late Spanish coin or an early 16-17th century maravedí, possibly minted under Ferdinand & Isabella, or Charles I.

Does anyone recognize this style, or knows more precise details ? I’m happy to post better photo if needed. 
Thanks in advance!

One of the early portugese coins I forget which but they never had good quality then.

silvergeek

One of the early portugese coins I forget which but they never had good quality then.

Thanks! It’s a good start for me. Do you got the sovereign of that time or anything else?

 Pictures cropped, and looks like just two pictures of the same side … 

 Yes looks like early Portuguese, with all those shields. 

Might work out more if the other side were shown. 

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/index.php?e=portugal_section&r=shield&st=147-150-149&cat=y&im1=&im2=&ru=&ie=&ca=3&no=&v=&a=&dg=&i=&b=&m=&f=2&t=&t2=&w=&mt=&u=&g=&c=&wi=&sw= 

 That search on those coins starts showing similar [so far, without seeing other side] starting 

with the eighth coin down - with that aforementioned cross on the other side. 

 Looks like half the lettering lost as it is outside the circle on the lower part. 

 The green lines are where the five shields are, and the inner circle and one clear 

letter, plus colon, can be seen. So ideally looking for a coin with  T:  on top left …  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Portugal 

 So most likely not Spanish. 

 Quite a few in that search have the five shield themselves within 

an empty shield and then in a circle. Looks to be just the shields 

with no shield surrounding - and then the circle. Also left and right shields 

are rotated sideways, if that means anything. One shows the five dots clearly. 

 Maybe lettering is / was - 

    + FERNANDVS REX PORT [UGAL] 

with a cross at the top, and not much space around to fit PORTUGAL all 

in so maybe abbreviated to just  PORT:  lettering. 

 With the as yet unseen other side ‘could be horns or a decorative headdres’ then 

maybe it is the top part of a crown - such as > 

 If so, then not quite the 23.08mm diameter mentioned but > 

N#40290 

with the same lettering both sides. Also a shape [castle] in the four shield angles. 

 Lettering (regular font):
EDVARDVS REX PORT
E-D [crown above] 
L (Lisboa Mint) 

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/ruler.php?id=1264 

 Though - ‘but there is also some characters: LUISGD.(?)’ - not present. 

Would still like to see pictures of the other side. 

ZacUK

 If so, then not quite the 23.08mm diameter mentioned but > 

N#40290 

 

  

with the same lettering both sides. Also a shape [castle] in the four shield angles. 

 Lettering (regular font):
EDVARDVS REX PORT
E-D [crown above] 
L (Lisboa Mint) 

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/ruler.php?id=1264 

 

 Though - ‘but there is also some characters: LUISGD.(?)’ - not present. 

Would still like to see pictures of the other side. 

Thanks a lot guys for your effort!

I’m so sorry for the both same side picture. Here it is:

Tell me what you think!

 Cropped then rotated 

 No idea yet what the design or lettering is. 

Will keep looking …