Prince Henry learned of African gold while he served as (4.) a soldier.
Henry was a central figure of the Portuguese Empire that was fascinated with Africa. He began to explore the coast of Africa when most of the continent was unknown to Europeans. For that reason, he is considered one of the main initiators of the Age of Discovery. The main aim of his exploration of Western Africa was to find the source of the gold trade. Furthermore, in 1420, Henry was appointed as the Grand Master of the Military Order of Christ due to his outstanding military merit.