5 Centavos

This issue belongs to the Cruzado reform coinage, launched in February 1986 when the Sarney government attempted to break Brazil's chronic inflation cycle by freezing prices and replacing the cruzeiro at a rate of 1,000 to one. The reform collapsed within two years, and by late 1988 inflation had surpassed 1,000 percent annually — rendering these small denominations effectively worthless before the series even concluded.