Culture, General Things, Coins, Cruzado

Cruzado is in Coins.

Pepy's Diary. 02 Jun 1662. Up early about business and then to the Wardrobe with Mr. Moore, and spoke to my Lord about the exchange of the crusados1 into sterling money, and other matters.

Note 1. Cruzado, a Portuguese coin of 480 reis. It is named from a cross which it bears on one side, the arms of Portugal being on the other. It varied in value at different periods from 2s. 3d. to 4s.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Jun 1662. After office done, I went down to the Towre Wharf [Map], where Mr. Creed and Shepley was ready with three chests of the crusados, being about £6000, ready to bring to shore to my house, which they did, and put it in my further cellar, and Mr. Shepley took the key. I to my father and Dr. Williams and Tom Trice, by appointment, in the Old Bayly, to Short's, the alehouse, but could come to no terms with T. Trice.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Jun 1662. To dinner, and found Dr. Thos. Pepys at my house; but I was called from dinner by a note from Mr. Moore to Alderman Backwell's (age 44), to see some thousands of my Lord's crusados weighed, and we find that 3,000 come to about £530 or 40 generally.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Jun 1662. In the evening with Mr. Moore to Backwell's with another 1,200 crusados and saw them weighed, and so home and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 19 Jun 1662. Home to dinner, where I found Mr. Moore, and he and I cast up our accounts together and evened them, and then with the last chest of crusados to Alderman Backwell's (age 44), by the same token his lady going to take coach stood in the shop, and having a gilded glassfull of perfumed comfits given her by Don Duarte de Silva, the Portugall merchant, that is come over with the Queen (age 23), I did offer at a taste, and so she poured some out into my hand, and, though good, yet pleased me the better coming from a pretty lady.

Pepy's Diary. 20 Jun 1662.Then he and I to Alderman Backwell's (age 44) and did the like there, and I gave one receipt for all the money I have received thence upon the receipt of my Lord's crusados. Then I went to the Exchange [Map], and hear that the merchants have a great fear of a breach with the Spaniard; for they think he will not brook our having Tangier, Dunkirk, and Jamaica; and our merchants begin to draw home their estates as fast as they can.