2000 Réis Independence Centennial

Issued to mark the centenary of Brazilian independence from Portugal, this coin was part of a broader commemorative program surrounding the 1922 Exposição Internacional do Centenário, held in Rio de Janeiro. The exposition itself was conceived partly as a political project under President Epitácio Pessoa, intended to project Brazil onto the world stage at a moment of considerable internal instability — the tenentismo military revolts began that same year.

KM#523 saw relatively limited circulation, with most examples having been preserved from the outset as souvenirs of the centennial events.