Brazilian currency
{{Short description|none}}
File:Nota de 200 reais (imagem 2).jpg200 banknotes]]
There have been nine different units of Brazilian currency in sequence over the country's history: the Portuguese and first Brazilian real (plural réis); 3 different types of cruzeiros; the cruzado; the novo cruzado; the cruzeiro real, and since 1994, the second incarnation of the Brazilian real (plural reais), with the symbol R$ and the ISO code BRL.
Historical currencies
File:Moedas do Brasil holandês no Museu Histórico Nacional (2024-10-26) 02.jpg
File:100-cruzeiros-1964-anverso.png100 (100 cruzeiros — 1st cruzeiro)]]
File:100-cruzeiros-1984-anverso.png100 (100 cruzeiros)
(2nd cruzeiro - second family, issued between 1981 and 1984)]]
File:100-cruzados-1987-anverso.png100 (100 cruzados)]]
File:100-cruzeiros-carimbo-1990-anverso.png100 (100 cruzados novos, overstamped Cr$100 note)]]
File:100-cruzeiros-1990-anverso.png100 (100 cruzeiros – 3rd cruzeiro)]]
File:100-cruzeiros-reais-carimbo-1993-anverso.png100 (100 cruzeiros reais, overstamped Cr$100,000 note)]]
While Portuguese settlers used Réis coins from Portugal, Dutch settlers occupying Northeastern Brazil used guilders. In 1645, the colony faced an economic crisis and, with a lack of financial support from the mainland and the need to pay for trops fighting Portuguese settlers, the local Dutch administration struck the first ever coins in Brazilian land, repurpusing gold coming from the Dutch Guinea.{{ cite web | url=https://anaismhn.museus.gov.br/index.php/amhn/issue/view/6 | title=O meio circulante no Brasil holandês | language=pt-br | trans-title=The circulating medium in Dutch Brazil | first=Edgar de Araújo | last=Romero | year=1940 | pages=23–30 | publisher=National Historical Museum | journal=Anais do Museu Histórico Nacional | volume=1 | access-date=28 October 2024 }} A few years later, in 1654, in an increasingly worse situation, coins were again minted to pay off debt, but this time with silver from the administrators' own coffers.
| class="wikitable"
|+ Historical currencies of Brazil ! Introduction !! Withdrawal !! Duration !! Name !! Symbol !! ISO !! Conversion !! Notes | |||||||
| —
| — | — | Portuguese Real | Rs{{efn|name=cifrao|File:Capa O Cruzeiro nº 1 de 10 nov 1928.png}} | | N/A | In the Portuguese Empire and in Brazil until 1942, the symbol "Rs" or "Rs." was prefixed to the amount, and additionally the double-stroke dollar sign "{{dollar2}}" (cifrão) was used as a thousands separator in amounts greater than 999 réis. If the last three digits were "000", they would sometimes be omitted. If the cifrão was present, the "Rs." was commonly omitted too. Thus "Rs 123{{dollar2}}500" meant "{{thinspace|123|500}} réis", and "123{{dollar2}}" meant "{{thinspace|123|000}}" réis. | |||||||
| 12 October 1822 | {{time interval|1822-10-12|1942-11-01|abbr=on}} | Real (old, pl. réis) | Rs{{efn|name=cifrao}} | = 1 Portuguese real | There isn't an official or exact date for the transition from Portuguese réis to Brazilian réis. Brazil became independent on 12 October 1822, and the first coin minted in the new country, known as the coronation piece, was minted in that same year (1822), exclusively tn Brazil, to commemorate Pedro I's coronation.{{ cite web | url=http://www.moedasdobrasil.com.br/moedas/catalogo.asp?s=112&xm=719 | title=Moedas do Brasil - Catálogo | first=Eduardo | last=Rezende | website=Moedas do Brasil | access-date=8 July 2021 }} While the Portuguese real may have continued to be legal tender in Brazil, the Brazilian real became a separate currency at that point. | ||
| 1 November 1942 | {{time interval|1942-11-01|1967-02-13|abbr=on}} | Cruzeiro (first) | Cr${{efn|name=crsymbol|File:Cruzeiros 13 stamp on Corriere dei Piccoli 1960-08-21.pngThe official symbol of the first cruzeiro, as per the 1942 decree, was "Cr $" — with two separate letters, a space, and a single-stroke dollar sign. However, the space was often omitted, and the two-stroke dollar sign "{{dollar2}}", previously used for the real, was often used. Also, some typewriters and typefaces had a "₢" ligature that was occasionally used in place of the "Cr".}} | = 1,000 réis | |||
| 13 February 1967 | 30 June 1972 | {{time interval|1967-02-13|1970-05-15|abbr=on}} | Cruzeiro novo | NCr${{efn|name=crsymbol}} | = 1,000 cruzeiros | ||
| 15 May 1970 | {{time interval|1970-05-15|1986-02-27|abbr=on}} | Cruzeiro (second) | Cr${{efn|name=crsymbol}} | BRB | = 1 cruzeiro novo | Change of name of the cruzeiro novo. Not a new currency.{{ cite web | url=https://normativos.bcb.gov.br/Lists/Normativos/Attachments/40437/Res_0144_v1_O.pdf| title=Resolução nº 144 do Conselho Monetário Nacional | language=pt-br | trans-title= Resolution CMN 144 | publisher=Central Bank of Brazil | access-date=26 March 2022 |quote=A partir de 15 de maio de 1970, a unidade do sistema monetário brasileiro passará a denominar-se CRUZEIRO e terá como símbolo a expressão Cr$. ('Starting May 15th, 1970, the Brazilian monetary unit will be renamed the cruzeiro and its symbol will be Cr$')}} | |
| 27 February 1986 | {{time interval|1986-02-27|1989-01-15|abbr=on}} | Cruzado | Cz$ | BRC | = 1,000 cruzeiros | ||
| 15 January 1989 | {{time interval|1989-01-15|1990-03-16|abbr=on}} | Cruzado novo | NCz$ | BRN | = 1,000 cruzados | ||
| 16 March 1990 | {{time interval|1990-03-16|1993-07-31|abbr=on}} | Cruzeiro (third) | Cr${{efn|name=crsymbol}} | BRE | = 1 cruzado novo | ||
| 1 August 1993 | {{time interval|1993-08-01|1994-07-01|abbr=on}} | Cruzeiro real | CR$ | BRR | = 1,000 cruzeiros | ||
| 1 July 1994 | (still in use) | {{time interval|1994-07-01|{{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY2}}|abbr=on}} | Real (new, pl. reais) | R$ | BRL | = 2,750 cruzeiros reais |
Note that the dates of various currencies overlap. For example, the cruzeiro novo was still legal tender for 2 years after the second cruzeiro was introduced.
Not considering inflation, one modern Brazilian real is equivalent to 2,750,000,000,000,000,000 times the old real, that is, {{val|2.75e18}} (2.75 quintillion) réis.
Before leaving Brazil in 1821, the Portuguese royal court withdrew all the bullion currency it could from banks in exchange for what would become worthless bond notes;{{ cite web | url=https://www.bcb.gov.br/htms/odinheiro.asp?frame=1 | title=O Dinheiro no Brasil - do Descobrimento ao Reino Unido | language=pt-br | trans-title=Money in Brazil - from Discovery to United Kingdom | author=Museu de Valores do Banco Central | publisher=Central Bank of Brazil | access-date=8 July 2021 }}{{ cite web | url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/1995/9/08/folhinha/7.html | title=Rei levou dinheiro do Banco do Brasil | language=pt-br | trans-title=King took Bank of Brazil's money | website=Folha de S.Paulo | date=8 September 1995 | access-date=8 July 2021 }}
Banknotes
File:Notas-brasileiras-100.png
The following tables indicate what banknotes were present in each of the currencies of Brazil, except for the provisional issues of banknotes to exchange gold in the colonial period:
| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend ! Symbol !! Meaning | |
| {{ya}} | Currency had a banknote with this face value |
| {{na}} | Currency did not have a banknote with this face value |
| {{MaybeCheck}} | Currency had legal tender with this face value in the form of an overstamped banknote from the previous currency |
| {{nan}} | Currency had a project to launch a banknote, but it never came into circulation |
| class=wikitable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Currency\Face value | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.50 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 500 | 1K | 2K | 5K | 10K | 20K | 30K | 50K | 100K | 200K | 500K | 1 million | 5 million |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real (old)
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{nan}} | |
| Cruzeiro (1st)
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | |
| Cruzeiro novo
| {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{na}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | |
| Cruzeiro (2nd)
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{nan}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | |
| Cruzado
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{nan}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | |
| Cruzado novo
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{na}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | |
| Cruzeiro (3rd)
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{nan}} | {{nan}} | |
| Cruzeiro real
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{na}} | {{MaybeCheck}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{nan}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | |
| Real (new)
| {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{ya}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} | {{na}} |
No single face value has been present in all historical Brazilian banknotes. For example, a face value of 100 is missing from the old real (as its lowest denomination of banknote is 500 Rs) and from the provisional cruzeiro novo (as its only banknotes were overstamps of the first cruzeiro, and the highest denomination was NCr$10). It is, however, present in all the other currencies.
Coins
The following tables indicate what coins were present in each of the currencies of Brazil, with the exception of réis:{{efn|
The following face values of réis coins were minted: 5, 10, 20, 37.5, 40, 50, 75, 80, 100, 160, 200, 300, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 960, 1000, 1200, 2000, 4000, 5000, 6400, 10,000 and 20,000}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend ! Symbol !! Meaning | |
| {{ya}} | Currency had a circulating coin with this face value |
| {{na}} | Currency did not have any coin with this face value |
| {{yan}} | Currency had legal tender with this face value in the form of a non-circulating commemorative coin |
| {{MaybeCheck}} | The currency took advantage of coins of the previous standard was issued coins in such values |
| {{nan}} | Currency had a project to launch a coin, but it never came into circulation |
{{Scrolling table/top | first=Currency\Face value
| Cruzeiro (1st)
| Cruzeiro (2nd)
| Cruzado
| Cruzeiro (3rd)
| Real (new)
}}
{{Scrolling table/mid}}
! 0.01 !! 0.02 !! 0.05 !! 0.10 !! 0.20 !! 0.25 !! 0.50 !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 10 !! 20 !! 50 !! 100 !! 200 !! 300 !! 500 !! 1,000 !! 2,000 !! 5,000
|-
| {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-
| {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-
| {{MaybeCheck}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{na}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{yan}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-
| {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{yan}} {{efn|Although the 100-cruzado coin issued in 1988 was issued for "common circulation", its coinage in three 200,000-piece models was too small for circulation purposes. The silver 20-cruzeiro coin issued in 1972 had a coinage almost as large as the sum of the coins of the three 100-cruzado models issued in 1988 and did not serve the common circulation.}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-
| {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{yan}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-
| {{MaybeCheck}} || {{na}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{yan}} || {{ya}}
|-
| {{nan}} || {{na}} || {{nan}} || {{nan}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{nan}} || {{nan}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-
| {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{yan}} || {{yan}} || {{yan}} || {{yan}} || {{yan}} || {{yan}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
{{Scrolling table/end}}
No single face value has been present in all historical Brazilian coins. For example, a face value of 1 is missing from the cruzeiro novo (as its highest denomination of coin is NCr$0.50 because it's a transitory monetary standard between the cruzeiro issued between 1942 and 1967 and the cruzeiro issued after 1970) and from the old real and the cruzeiro real (as their lowest denomination of coin is 5 Rs and CR$5, respectively). It is, however, present in all the other currencies:
File:1-cruzeiro-1957-reverso.png|₢$1 (first cruzeiro/aluminium coinage 1957-1961)
File:1-cruzeiro-novo-1980-reverso.png|NCr$1 (second cruzeiro/second family 1979-1984)
File:1 Cruzado BRC de 1988.png|Cz$1
File:1-cruzado-novo-1989-reverso.png|NCz$1
File:BRE 1 - Reverso.JPG|Cr$1 (third cruzeiro - 1990)
File:1-real-2019-25-anos-reverso.png|R$1
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
Getúlio Vargas and A. de Souza Costa (1942): Decreto-Lei N. 4.791 - de 5 de outbro de 1942. Diário Oficial (Seção 1), issue published 1942-10-06, page 14899.
Central Bank of Brazil (1970): "[https://www.bcb.gov.br/pre/normativos/res/1970/pdf/res_0144_v3_l.pdf Resolução Nº 144 of 31.3.1970]" on change from cruzeiro novo to cruzeiro. Website of the Central Bank of Brazil; accessed on 2021-07-06.
(2020): [https://http2.mlstatic.com/D_NQ_NP_632924-MLB25777686647_072017-O.webp Image of the keyboard of a Smith Corona typewriter] made in the 1950s for the Brazilian market, featuring the "₢" and "$" keys near the right end of the upper row. From ad #1318087665 on the Mercado Livre website; accessed on 2021-08-15, [https://web.archive.org/web/20210815165950if_/https://http2.mlstatic.com/D_NQ_NP_784535-MLB25777683855_072017-O.webp archived]
{{Portal|Brazil|Money|Numismatics}}
{{Historical currencies of Brazil}}