Catalog
10 Mil Reis
| Issuer | Banco União de S. Paulo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1890 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in dark grey-black tones on white paper. At left, a standing allegorical female figure is set within a vignette framed by fine guilloche borders; at right, a smaller industrial vignette appears. The bank name 'BANCO UNIÃO DE S. PAULO' is inscribed across the upper centre in bold lettering, beneath which the serial number, series, and estampa designations appear, followed by the large denomination inscription 'DEZ MIL REIS' and a guarantee clause referencing Decree No. 165 of 17 January 1890. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in a rich multicolour scheme of red, blue, and yellow-green, with an elaborate guilloche underprint filling the entire field. At centre, a large circular vignette contains the Brazilian coat of arms — a five-pointed star within a stellar arrangement surrounded by a wreath — encircled by the inscriptions 'S. PAULO E GOYAZ' and 'ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRAZIL'. The denomination numeral '10' appears in each of the four corners within ornate lathe-work panels, and the bank name is repeated along the top and bottom margins. |
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| Comments |
Banco União de S. Paulo was one of several private banks granted note-issuing rights under Brazil's Encilhamento — the speculative monetary expansion pushed through by Finance Minister Rui Barbosa following the 1889 republic. The policy flooded the country with bank-issued paper, and the União de S. Paulo was among the São Paulo state banks that emerged almost overnight to take advantage of newly liberalized charter rules.
The series is scarce. Many of these provincial emissions were short-lived; the Encilhamento collapsed into financial crisis by 1891, and numerous issuing institutions failed before their notes saw meaningful circulation.