1632 - Portuguese Goa
Gold St Thome

The Gold St Thome with Coat of arms of Portugal and Standing Saint Thomas was struck in Goa for circulation including in Ceilão, for years between 1632 and 1635 during the reign of D. Filippe III (1621-1640).

SPECIFICATIONS
DenominationSt. Thome
AlloyGold
TypeStruck
Diameter20.8 mm
Thickness1.? mm
Weight legal3.50 gms
Weight3.36 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeSmooth
DieAxis180°
MintGoa
1632_GA_F3_sthome_au_obverse 1632_GA_F3_sthome_au_reverse
Codrington-CCM #76 ; Gomes F ; F.Vas 3.01 India Goa KM #62
Obverse : Crowned Coat of arms of Portugal between G to left and A to right (Goa) within a plain line circle. Along the periphery within a a circle of dots PHILIPVS III·REX·PORTVG
Reverse : Saint Thomas standing facing left with carpenter's square dividing date 16 32 two concentric plain line circles. Along the periphery within a a circle of dots S T H O M E ·

Codrington (VIII-11:p.94, IV-III) lists it among gold coins minted in Goa found in Ceylon.

Codringto states that When the new S. Thome was issued in 1631, it was provided that private persons were at liberty to have S. Thomes of the old fineness and design struck on their account at the mint. Of these, must be the extreamly rare issue of 1632 of which a specimen found at Matara is in the Colombo Museum. ... A similer coin struckin 1634 is in Mr Bell's cabinet.

Text from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Chapter VIII Portuguese - Page 104
* Indo Portuguese Money, by J Ferraro Vaz, Braga, Portugal 1980 p.145
* Moedas Portuguesas 1128-1988, by Alberto Gomes. Lisbon 1987 p.14?.

This St Thome is the Plate Specimen #76 in Codrington's Catalog of Coins in the Colombo Museum. The VF grade coin was scanned at 600 dpi and images are displayed at 300 dpi.