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20.000 Reis
| Issuer | Banco Mercantil Portuense, Porto |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Real (1430-1911) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Nº 00254 O Thezoureiro DO BANCO MERCANTIL PORTUENSE SOCIEDADE ANÓNIMA DE RESPONSABILIDADE LIMITADA Pagará á vista ao Portador VINTE MIL REIS em moeda d'ouro ou prata convertível Porto, 1 de Janeiro de 1885 Rs 20,000 OS GERENTES |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in a single reddish-brown tone and centres on a large diamond-shaped guilloche panel bearing the denomination text in two lines. Four circular rosette medallions are placed symmetrically at the cardinal points of the diamond, and small oval counters inscribed 20.000 appear at the top and bottom, creating a balanced, purely typographic and engine-turned geometric composition. |
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| Comments |
The Banco Mercantil Portuense was one of several regional Portuguese banks of issue operating during the latter half of the nineteenth century, a period when the Banco de Portugal had not yet consolidated monopoly control over note issuance. Porto's commercial banking sector was robust, feeding off Atlantic trade, and the Mercantil Portuense was a serious institution — not a provincial footnote.
At 20,000 Réis, this is a high-denomination instrument, almost certainly used for wholesale commercial transactions rather than retail circulation. Survival rate for high-face notes from this issuer is low; most were presented for redemption rather than saved.