A Portuguese 2 escudo coin is mounted in a 14 kt gold filled handmade bezel. A wonderful gift for the coin collector of for someone who has traveled to the country of Portugal. The escudo is no longer minted with the euro taking its place in 2002. One side of the coin depicts a sailing caravel ship, the other side is Portugal's coat of arms. Suspended by a gold filled link chain 19 inches long adjustable to 18 inches. The corrugated decorative bail is 14 kt gold filled.

A special gold filled bezel wire is used to make this handmade bezel; the outside wire is rounded while the inside of the wire is grooved so that the coin fits inside the bezel. Once the bezel wire is cut, the two ends are filed then soldered together using hard gold solder, then polished. The coin then is placed within the bezel. The top of the bezel is then shaped into a loop to accommodate a gold filled bail.

The mounted coin is 20mm (0.79 inch) in diameter. Pendant: Length 31.2 mm (1.25 inch), Width 19 mm (3/4 inch). The 14 kt gold filled chain is made of oval links that are 2mm wide and 18 inches completed with a 14kt gold filled lobster claw clasp.

The Portuguese escudo.
On May 22, 1911, after the 1910 Portuguese Republican revolution, the Portuguese escudo replaced the reis with the ratio of 1,000 reis = 1 escudo. The name escudo comes from the Portuguese word for "shield".

The escudo is subdivided into 100 centavos and its symbol is the cifrao, a capital S with two strokes in the middle. Values in escudos are expressed in the form escudos$centavos using the cifrao as the decimal separator. The euro was introduced in Portugal on January 1st, 1999, replacing the escudo from circulation on February 28 2002.

The reverse depicts five shields arranged to form a cross, each of them with five dots, in memory of the five Moorish kings defeated by Alfonso I at the battle of Ourique. The shield is the coat of arms of Portugal. Two Stars on each side of the coat of arms. At bottom is the denomination '2$00'
The obverse on the left 'REPUBLICA' and on the right 'PORTUGUESA', in middle is a caravel ship sailing to the right, at bottom is the date 1974.

In the transition to the 16th century, the Portuguese created a specialized fighting ship also called caravela redonda or square rigged caravel (also caravela de armada), to act as an escort in Brazil and in the East Indies route. It had a foremast with square sails and three other masts with a lateen each, for a total of 4 masts. The hull was galleon-shaped, and it is considered a forerunner of the fighting galleon. The Portuguese Man o' War was named after this curious type of fighting ship which was in use until the 17th century.

A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. Caravels were much used by the Portuguese for the oceanic exploration voyages during the 15th and 16th centuries in the age of discovery.

* Portuguese 2 escudo used coin.
* Mint date: 1974
* Mint: Lisbon
* Composition: Copper-Nickel
* Coin Diameter: 20mm

* Obverse: On the left 'REPUBLICA' and on the right 'PORTUGUESA', in middle is a caravel ship sailing to the right, at bottom is the date 1974.

* Reverse: Depicts five shields arranged to form a cross, each of them with five dots, in memory of the five Moorish kings defeated by Alfonso I at the battle of Ourique. The shield is the coat of arms of Portugal. Two Stars on each side of the coat of arms. At bottom is the denomination '2$00'

* Pendant: Length 31.2 mm (1.25 inch), 14kt gold filled bezel. Width 19 mm (3/4 inch)
* Necklace: Link chain, 18 inch, 14kt gold filled