This is currency from Portugal and Portuguese owned countries like Angola. This item played a large role in my family’s immigration to America in 1982. My maternal grandfather moved to Angola from Portugal in 1952 with his parents when he was 3 years old. This was due to poverty and not having very many economic opportunities in Portugal at the time. My great grandparents built and operated their own clothing factory in Angola. They lived in Angola for 23 years. My maternal grandmother at the age of 15 moved to Angola from Portugal with my great grandmother so that she could open her own hair salon. My grandmother ended up meeting my grandfather and they got married in Angola in 1974. They had just boughten a house when war broke out in 1975 and anyone who was not born in Angola had to go back to Portugal immediately. They were only allowed 1 suitcase each. People were called in groups to board flights back to Portugal. But, these groups were random and would split up families as well as children from their parents. Once everyone arrived in Portugal the Portuguese money that was marked for Angola was deemed worthless and was no longer allowed to be used as currency. So any money that people had brought back with them was worthless. People were left with nothing. As the years passed between 1975-1982 the population in Portugal grew as many people fled Angola to get away from the war causing overcrowding, and poverty most were left without jobs. People began to immigrate to other countries, one of those countries being the U.S. 

– MS

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant