Brazil is a unique country in the sense of "moneymaking." In most countries, the name of the national currency is kindly, but in the largest country in Latin America its name was easily changed.
Flight One
Well, what do you want from a remote colony, where there was always a shortage of cash money supply? Now it seems ridiculous, but the first coin minted on the territory of Brazil in 1652 was the Dutch guilders and stovers from the Dutch illegally trying to settle on these shores.
And the first flights were de facto coins of different states, which were in the hands of the Brazilians. Most of them were Spanish realities, and so the plural form of the word in Portuguese came out - "flight". That is, a "flight" is a "real". Foreign coins were made their own primarily by means of minting.
The first mint in Brazil began operating in 1694, and it was then that the flight began its official history. In 1822, Brazil gained independence and completely separated from the Portuguese banking system: flights gained full legitimacy, but their real cost was very low. The currency has experienced several hyperinflation. It is not surprising, therefore, that flights with the Brazilian motto “Order and progress” (Ordem e progresso) did not exist of small denominations. There were eleven of them: 20, 40, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000. Inflation gave rise to the concept of milrais. This paper note is a flight accumulator. 1 mile flight - equal to 1000 flights.
Coins were made of various materials with the desire to make their weight a multiple of face value, that is, a coin in 2000 flights had to weigh 20 g and so on, but this was not always observed.
To the stars"
By 1942, it became technically difficult to use flights. Zeros continued to grow. Therefore, the introduction of a new national currency, Cruzeiro, became the basis of the denomination: 1000 flights (or 1 milraise) were exchanged for 1 cruzeiro. Also, centavo change coins (“hundreds”) were first introduced into circulation: cruzeiro is 100 centavos. Denomination in Cruzeiro: one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty. They were accompanied by centavo ten, twenty, fifty units.
The distinctive features of the Cruzeiro coins are the images on them of the stylized constellation Southern Cross (which is exactly what the word Cruzeiro means), and on the obverse are the contours of the map of Brazil.
Unfortunately, the Southern Cross was even more subject to devaluation and in 1967, as part of another denomination in the ratio of 1000 to 1, it was replaced by the “new cruzeiro”.
It all came out in banknotes: no coins in denominations in cruzeiro were issued. And the centavo: one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty. Although, to be honest, it was only in centavos that this currency materialized. Used old banknotes with an overprint.
In 1970, apparently, having accumulated money for money, the state renamed the new Cruzeiro back to Cruzeiro. New banknotes and coins appeared.
In the design decision, they were distinguished by a more ascetic look and desire for a modern schedule at that time. For a long time they were issued (their release was suspended) in denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred, two hundred, five hundred cruzeiro, and centavo - one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty. In connection with inflation, the small denomination gradually went out of circulation. And in 1984, centavos were completely canceled.
Cruzado
Another 1986: 1 denomination procedure in 1986 led to the birth of Cruzado. Historically, this is not a Brazilian coin, but an ancient Portuguese coin.
In monetary terms, these were steel coins, stylistically continuing the series of the last Cruzeiro. Denomination: one, five, ten, one hundred cruzado and one, five, ten, twenty, fifty centavos.
New Cruzado
A furious jump in inflation already in 1989 forced to announce a new exchange of thousands of Cruzado for one new Cruzado. In the newer and also Cruzado tables, there was only 1 coin in denomination in Cruzado. Only centavos were updated one, five, ten, fifty. Outwardly, they differed little from their predecessors. In the photo, a Brazilian coin 1 new cruzado 1989.
Graphics and design are preserved.
Back to the stars
In 1993, the new Cruzado was exchanged for Cruzeiro reals, which replenished the Brazilian family of coins, in the traditional ratio of 1000 per 1.
The design of the coins changed, and the obverse, which depicted endemic (regional species) of the Brazilian fauna, became the “chip” of steel cruzeiro real (face value: five, ten, fifty, one hundred; centavos were not issued). Here, for example, is a Brazilian wolf, "valued" at 100 Cruzeiro reals.
Return to real
In 1994, the Brazilian Ministry of Finance was tired, apparently, toiling with exchanges, and the new held with a reserve-record of 2750: 1. Everything again returned to the originator of the coins of Brazil - real. It was for him that the new Cruzado was exchanged.
Probably, the modern Brazilian real is the pinnacle of coinage for this country.
Two series of coins were issued. In 1994, simple in design and steel (1 real, one, five, ten, twenty five, fifty centavos) with the figure of the Republic on the obverse.
In 1998, the second series is significantly different with the same ratings for the better in terms of performance and quality. On the reverse - the motives of the Southern Cross, on the reverse - the faces of prominent Brazilians (well, or almost Brazilians, like the discoverer of Brazil Pedro Cabral).
A variety of materials is also observed, which before was not typical for Brazilian coins. Centavo 1 and 5 are made of copper, 10 and 25 are made of brass, 50 are copper-nickel, 1 real is a steel core and a “handle” of brass.
Is Electricity Over?
In real life, you literally feel it with your hands and see with your eyes that the Brazilian economy has finally gone uphill. There are fears that the country will cease to please numismatists with novelties that previously happened almost exclusively due to inflation. However...
Have you seen? Several dozen types of anniversary (for various reasons) reals from simple metals to gold have already been released. In general, Brazilians will still please us with their Brazilian real from without sad reasons.