The indio was a silver coin minted by the Portuguese government as a currency to support trade with India.
[1] Following the discovery by Vasco da Gama, King Manuel I of Portugal ordered the indio, as well as the português, to be minted to support trade with India.
[1] The reverse side bears markings from the Military Order of Christ, which King Manuel had also adopted as his personal insignia.
[2] The first coin has been held in the National Historical Museum of Brazil,[1] which houses the largest numismatic collection of Latin America.
This example was compared to the first using CT scan and authenticated by João Pedro Vieira, Curator of Coins and Paper Money with the Bank of Portugal.