Portugal 2025 €5 x 5 Tiles

Tilework is one of Portugal's greatest artistic expressions — a mirror of its identity, its light, and its time. This set pays homage to the evolution of Portuguese tilework from the 15th to the 20th centuries. 

Each coin has a square shape and colored ceramic (zirconia) inlays, evoking the glazed shine of Portuguese tilework.

16TH CENTURY

Hispano-Moorish Tilework

The geometric heritage and Islamic aesthetics meet the beginning of Portuguese production. Stars, interlacing patterns, and soft colors in a repeated pattern mark the first major influence on our tilework.

17TH CENTURY

Patterned Tilework

The century of color and pattern. The recognizable tapestry effects emerge, with intense blues, vibrant yellows, and motifs such as the camellia and the diamond point, symbols of the churches and palaces of the Baroque period.

18TH CENTURY

Figurative Tilework

The tile becomes narrative. Inviting figures, religious, mythological, and everyday scenes dominate the large Joanine and Pombaline panels. The color blue achieves an iconic status that endures to this day.

19TH CENTURY

Revivalist Tilework

The taste for Manueline, Moorish, and coats of arms redefines facade decoration. The influence of Brazil, new factories, and industrial methods gives rise to a century of light, color, and urban expansion.

20TH CENTURY

Author Tilework

From Art Nouveau to Modernism, from Jorge Colaço to Maria Keil, Querubim Lapa, or Lourdes Castro, the tile becomes a medium for contemporary artistic expression. It is the century that transforms the tile into public art.

The set is available in a unique edition comprising the five coins, and individual purchase is not planned.