100 Escudos Mozambican Escudo #354

Front

Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque (1855–1902), Portuguese cavalry officer and colonial administrator who served as Governor-General of Mozambique (1896–1897) and is known for his military campaigns in Portuguese East Africa, particularly the capture of Gungunhana, the last emperor of Gaza. This note is an overprint issue, where Banco Nacional Ultramarino notes were overprinted 'MOÇAMBIQUE CEM ESCUDOS' and 'BANCO DE MOÇAMBIQUE' following Decreto Lei Nº 39.221 dated 27 March 1961 in Lisbon, transferring issuing authority from the colonial Banco Nacional Ultramarino to the newly established Banco de Moçambique.

Back

The coat of arms of the Portuguese colony of Mozambique, featuring a shield with the Portuguese arms (five small blue shields on white, each with five white dots representing the five wounds of Christ), an armillary sphere (Portugal's Age of Discovery symbol), flanked by two stylized serpents or dragons, and topped with a mural crown. The banner reads 'PAGAVEL NA PROVINCIA DE MOÇAMBIQUE' (Payable in the Province of Mozambique). The seal at left shows the Banco Nacional Ultramarino emblem with a ship and the date 'LISBOA-1864', referencing the bank's founding in Lisbon.

History

This is an overprint issue from the transitional period when Portugal reorganized its colonial currency system. Following Decreto Lei Nº 39.221 of 27 March 1961, existing Banco Nacional Ultramarino notes for Mozambique were overprinted with 'BANCO DE MOÇAMBIQUE' to reflect the establishment of a separate issuing authority for the colony. The underlying note design dates from earlier Banco Nacional Ultramarino issues but was repurposed with the overprint. The Mozambican Escudo remained in use until independence in 1975, when it was replaced by the Mozambican Metical in 1980 at a rate of 1 Metical = 1 Escudo. The note features Mouzinho de Albuquerque, a controversial colonial military figure celebrated in Portuguese colonial propaganda but whose legacy is viewed critically in post-independence Mozambique. The back denomination reads '500' while the front reads '100', indicating this is a mismatched pair of images showing two different denominations from the same series.