40 Réis - José I Bahia Mint

José I's reign coincided with the near-total dominance of the Marquis of Pombal, whose sweeping economic reforms included a rationalization of colonial minting. The Bahia mint operated with considerably less oversight than Lisbon, and the 40 Réis copper issues of this period are known across at least three die varieties — reflected in the Bentes references 227, 228, and 229 — suggesting multiple working die pairs were in simultaneous use, likely to meet demand from a colonial economy chronically short of small change.

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake had devastated metropolitan Portugal's productive capacity, pushing greater coining responsibility onto Brazilian mints for years afterward.