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4000 Réis 400th Anniversary of the Discovery
| Issuer | Brazil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1900 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central field features two heraldic shields displayed side by side, separated by a stylized sword or cross motif: at left, the crowned Portuguese royal arms (five escutcheons arranged in a cross on a white field, each charged with five bezants), and at right, the Brazilian republican coat of arms (a star within a wreath, surrounded by a starry celestial globe). Below the shields, a ribbon banner bears the commemorative dates '1500' and '1900', flanked by a rayed star in the lower field. The denomination '4000 RÉIS' appears above the shields, and the circular legend 'REPUBLICA DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL' runs along the outer rim, accompanied by five five-pointed stars in the lower border. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark four centuries since Cabral's 1500 landfall, this was Brazil's first purpose-struck commemorative coin — a distinction that makes it historically significant regardless of condition. The republic was barely a decade old in 1900, and the decision to commemorate a colonial-era Portuguese achievement was not without political tension; the young government was simultaneously trying to distance itself from its imperial past while appealing to national pride rooted in it.
The mintage was low and distribution uneven, leaving many examples in original mint state while others show heavy contact from careless handling rather than circulation.