PORTUGUESE MALACCA: Filipe I, 1580-1598, AV unit (2.63g), ND, SS--, Gomes-, Portuguese coat of arms, with the letter F to the left and M right // São Tomé standing, S left & T to right; some weakness of strike, possibly unpublished, VF-EF, RRRR. The letters FM are said to refer for the local fortress, known as Fortaleza de Malacca in Portuguese, constructed by the Portuguese in 1511, passed to the Dutch in 1641, and almost completely dismantled in the early 19th century. The attribution to Filipe I is tentative, based on the style of the crown above the arms on the obverse, which is similar to the arms of type Gomes-10.01, a gold 5 xerafin struck at Goa.

Estimate: 3,500-4,500 USD