Royal Seal of 1144

Portugal's royal seal of 1144 graces the circulation coin, encircled by seven castles and five escutcheons. The country name "Portugal" identifies the issuing state.

The royal seal of 1144 dates from the early years of the Kingdom of Portugal under Afonso I, who declared himself the country's first king in 1139, marking its independence from the County of León-Castile. The seven castles surrounding the seal later became a permanent feature of Portugal's national coat of arms, traditionally representing seven fortresses captured from the Moors. The five shields, also still present in the national arms today, are said to commemorate five defeated Moorish kings.