In the previous part of this article, we analyzed the propaganda value of the coin, and its use by rulers. We focused on the case of the First Interregnum in Portugal, where Beatriz's right to the Portuguese throne is questioned. Beatriz was the daughter of King Fernando I of Portugal and the second wife of Juan I of Castile. Her main rival is her father’s half-brother, Juan de Castro, who is captured by the Castilians. Meanwhile, Portugal is governed by Beatriz's mother, Queen Dowager Leonor, lacking popular support within Portugal and thus in need of her son-in-law's forces.
It was then that another uncle of Beatriz, João, Master of Avís, the illegitimate son of Pedro I of Portugal and Teresa Lourenço, enters the scene. Two months after King Fernando’s death, the master enters Lisbon and kills Leonor's lover. This sparks a popular uprising with numerous casualties, including the bishop of the city. Queen Leonor leaves the city, and João takes command. Technically, Beatriz still maintains her position as queen, though for a short time.
At the same time, Juan I of Castile breaks agreements and decides to enter Portugal alongside his wife to rule in her name. He meets with his mother-in-law Leonor in Santarém and decides to exile her to Tordesillas. The King of Castile refuses to have a regent in Portugal whom he does not control, leading to conflict with the Master of Avís. This man proclaims himself as defender and governor of Portugal on behalf of Juan de Castro, considered the legitimate heir. He likely has no intention of ceding power to his half-brother and is merely buying time while building a path to the throne. In fact, Juan continues to be treated as an infante since he will not be recognized as successor until he ceases to be a Castilian captive. Therefore, those opposed to Beatriz consider that the throne remains vacant, hence the term Interregnum.
João also decides to mint new coins to inform the people of the change in government. In reality, two, as he makes pieces very similar with values of real and half real (Gomes 2003, 105). However, he does not make coins in his niece's or half-brother’s name. This may be a clue that he did not intend to keep the seat for another family member.
The first difference is the type on the obverse. While Beatriz's coin used her portrait, João introduces an abbreviation of his name IHAS (from Latin Iohannes). It is a common practice to use initials or abbreviations to represent the issuer of the coin. These letters are usually crowned, but João is not king and has no right to use that distinction. Instead, he places the Cross of Avís, in reference to the military order to which he belongs.
He also provides a legend in double border (in the real, being a single border on the half). Similar to the previous one, it is a religious legend (Psalm 123, verse 8): ADIVTIRUM NOSTRVM QUI FECIT CELVM ET TERAM. It can be translated as "our help is the Lord who made heaven and earth." Once again, legitimacy through God is sought.
On the reverse, appear the Portuguese quinas without shield. The legend recites João's titles as regent and defender of Portugal and the Algarves: IHNS DG R D REGNORVM PO ALGA.
As mentioned at the beginning, the right to mint coins always remains with the highest political authority. Nothing on a coin is accidental, as it has always been known for its propaganda power. João is starting a rapid rise in prestige.
Facing him now is not Beatriz's side but that of the King of Castile. Whether by desire or incapacity, no more coins are minted in Beatriz’s name, neither in Portugal nor in Castile. On the contrary, Juan I will issue a series of blancas with the title of king of León and Portugal (Orol Pernas 1974: 65-72). This piece does not have the same significance as that of his wife or his rival. The types are the classic ones from Castile, a lion and a castle, and the reference to the claim is limited to the title.
The use of the title king of Portugal will be more common in documents and seals. In them, Juan assumes Portuguese heraldry, but in a partition where it is relegated to left, which is more humiliating than if done as a quartering, like Beatriz (Fernández de Córdova Miralles 2013, 232-235; Francisco Olmos y Novoa Portela 2008, 92-93).
Juan has a conception of female power similar to that in Navarre, where a woman can inherit but it is her husband who plays the role of king. For the rest of his days, he will defend the Portuguese campaign as his own and even consider abdicating the crown of Castile to focus on it, and try to be more accepted in the neighboring kingdom.
On August 14, 1385, João achieves a decisive victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota, and shortly after proclaims himself king of Portugal with popular support in the Cortes of Coimbra. This change is evident in his coinage, where the Cross of Avís is replaced by a royal crown.
To make matters worse, he calls on the principal adversaries of the Trastámara, the Dukes of Lancaster. The King of Castile does not have forces for a second war and signs a truce with Portugal, promising his son Enrique to Catherine, the daughter of the Lancasters. By this time, Catherine's half-sister Felipa has married João.
Beatriz, who had already moved into the background, is further overshadowed after becoming a widow in 1390. As she was not the mother of the new king, she would no longer be considered for major decisions during the regency. In subsequent years, Queen Catherine of Lancaster maintains good relations with her brother-in-law João. This complicates Beatriz's claim, which remains politically active until her death around 1420.
The coins from the Interregnum period tell the story of a legitimate queen managed by an overly ambitious mother and husband, and that of a illegitimate relative who takes advantage of his opportunity to establish a new dynasty. Their pieces are the best example of how these coins were used as a means of political dissemination. The coins are instant images that tell what is happening at that very moment. They are traces of a brief but intense propaganda campaign, within an armed conflict. Beatriz is represented as queen through the use of her crown and supported by Castilian power, represented in its heraldry. Meanwhile, João appears with elements specific to the Master of Avís, and defender of Portugal, but cannot use royal attributes until 1385.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fernández de Córdova Miralles, A (2013). “The emblems of the conquest: arms and devices of Juan I of Trastámara in the Portuguese succession.” Armas e Troféus. Revista de História, Heráldica, Genealogia e Arte, 229-268.
Francisco Olmos, J. M. de and Novoa Portela, F. (2008): History and Evolution of the Lead Seal. The Sifilographic Collection of the Museo Cerralbo. Madrid: Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía.
Gomes, A. (2003): Portuguese Coins and Territory that is Portugal Today. Lisbon: Asociación Numismática de Portugal.
Olivera Serrano, C. (2005): Beatriz of Portugal. The Dynastic Struggle Avís-Trastámara. Santiago de Compostela: CSIC e Instituto de Estudios Gallegos “Padre Sarmiento”.
Orol Pernas, A. (1974): “Minting of Juan I of Castile as King of Portugal”. Nummus 33, 65-72.
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