Charles I ("Dom Carlos I" in Portuguese), full name in Portuguese: Carlos Fernando Luís Maria Victor Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis José Simão de Bragança-Sabóia-Bourbon e Saxe-Coburgo-Gota, was the penultimate king of Portugal. He was born on September 28, 1863 in Lisbon and died on February 1, 1908. Károly's name comes from respect for ancestors. His maternal great-grandfather Fernando, his paternal grandfather Luís, his father Maria, and finally his maternal grandfather Victor are all associated with the names of famous rulers. Károly was also called "The Diplomat", "The Martyr" and "Oceanographer". From his childhood, he was prepared for constitutional rule and studied culture in several European courts. In 1886, he married the French princess Amália of Orléans, and they had three children. His reign was characterized by political crises and social discontent. Károly ascended the throne in 1889 and tragically died in 1908 while hunting in his palace in Vila Viçosá.

King Charles I of Portugal reigned from 1889 to 1908. During his reign, many changes took place in Portuguese coinage. The most important change was the introduction of the new Portuguese escudo in 1891, which was divided into 1000 reis. The new escudo was minted from silver and weighed 25 grams. In addition, many new types of coins appeared during Charles' reign. The silver coins of 1 escudo and 500 reis were introduced in 1890, and the bronze coin of 100 reis was introduced in 1891. During the reign of Charles, artistic development in Portuguese coinage was also significant. Many famous Portuguese artists were asked to design the coins, such as José Malhoa and João Marques da Silva. Here are some concrete examples of Charles's coins: 1 escudo silver coin (1891): King Charles is depicted in profile, and the circular obverse the Portuguese coat of arms is visible. 500 reis silver coin (1890): depicts King Charles in official attire, and the circular reverse shows the Belém Tower in Lisbon. 100 reis bronze coin (1891): depicts King Charles in profile, the circular reverse and the Portuguese coat of arms can be seen on the back.. The Portuguese coins of the Charles era are still valuable collector's items.