D. Carlos I, )1889-1908), 5 Reis, cobre, Açores, 1901.

[Luis Cozeto]

A.G. 01.01.

[<k>]

Just look at the figure 5, made out of bits of floral leaves. Flower power! The artist must have been the world's first hippy. 

[Figleaf]

Like <k>, I find the design fascinating. The mainland Portuguese equivalents are far more linear of an early, classical renaissance style: a simple wreath of branches of olive and oak.

The mantle of the coat of arms is baroque, a 17th century art style, still current among conservative clients for art in 1900, but in the process of at last being succeeded by something new: art nouveau. What the two styles have in common is a love of symmetry, but whereas baroque is all drama and movement, art nouveau seeks quiet, natural forms and motives.

The wreath is a good example. On the Açores coin it is rigidly symmetrical and it can be said to be baroque, except for those flowers. On the 10 of the 10 reis coins there are even more.

I wish the flowers were used for the first time in 1901, so I could argue that they are art nouveau, but that is not the case. They were first introduced on the 1795-1798 series and at that time, art nouveau hadn't been invented yet. I suspect that D. Maria thought of the flowers as feminine.

On mainland Portuguese copper, the baroque mantle of the arms came first. The flowers were added from 1791, when D. Maria reigned alone. The flowery denominations are typical of Açores coppers. None of these are found on the Madeira coppers.

Peter