History of the money in Brazil

1 - Brazil as Portuguese colony

1.4  The Napoleonic war and the transfer of the Portuguese Royal family.  

In 1808, as a consequence of the arrival of the Napoleonic war to Portugal, and the eminent invasion of Lisbon  by Napoleon's troops, the Portuguese Royal family is transferred to Brazil, bringing a court of about 15.000 people of the Portuguese nobility, with their belongings and savings. As had not the unification of the monetary systems, the affluence of the new cash, added more problems for the disorder of the circulating values in the Colony.

D. Joao, as Regent, to assist the high expenses of installation of the Portuguese Court, ordered that the Spanish 8 Reales coins which here were circulating, were bought by 750 to 800 Reis, and received a stamp, increasing the value to 960 Reis. In the same year of his arrival, created the Bank of Brazil, which later would begin the emission of bills, precursors of the paper money.

In 1809, he created a new silver coin in the value of 960 Reis, popularly called as "patacao" for being equal to three patacas of 320 Reis. In spite of authorized in 1809, only one piece of 960 Reis from this date is known, and some patterns. Another monetary measure in this same year, were countermarking with the Portuguese shield on the silver coins from the "J" series and in the big module copper coins dated before 1799, for increase the value.

In 1810 we had the first emissions from Bank of Brazil, to assist as always to the government's expenses. Were bills handwritten and signed by hand, conditioned in stubs books and cut out in way to facilitate the verification of authenticity by the coincidence of the cut line.

There was in the regental period of D. Joao several coinages of copper coins: in 1811, in the value of 80 Reis to help the shortage of small cash and, between 1813 and 1815, by the Rio de Janeiro Mint, in the values of 20, 40 and 80 Reis, for circulation in Mozambique, Saint Thomas and Prince, Portuguese colonies in Africa. The coins known as "macutas" were also struck here, in the values of 1/4, 1/2, 1 and 2 Reis to Angola, but with unknown authorization, also had legal circulation in Brazil.

With Napoleon's defeat in 1815, D. Joao, inspired by the Vienna Congress, elevates Brazil to United Kingdom with Portugal and Algarves, and to commemoration, order to strike a new series of coins, being the gold in the values of 4.000 and 6,400 Reis, silver in 960 Reis and copper in 20 and 40 Reis. These coins called as "special series", are different from the previous ones, mainly for the legend in the obverse side ending with P. Regens.

With the death of D. Maria I in 1816 and the Regent's coronation in 1818, with the title of D. Joao VI, beginning the coinage with the new legend of "King of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves" and the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom. However the monetary system was not affected, with regular coinage of national and provincial coins.

To be continued. Next "2 - Brazil elevated to United Kingdom with Portugal and Algarves".

I  hope to help a little our friends and customers, and I count with your help to correct eventual mistakes.

Any question, I am all ways happy to help.

Francisco Partos
E&P Numismatica

Other Guides
You may be interested in viewing our other guides:

History of the money in Brazil 1.1

History of the money in Brazil 1.2

History of the money in Brazil 1.3

A sample of the fascinating Brazilian overstrikes world

Fancy, solid and others on Brazilian banknotes

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