5 Reais Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto — literally "black gold" — was the epicenter of Brazil's 18th-century gold rush, and the city's baroque architecture survives largely intact because the mining economy collapsed before modernization could erase it. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1980, one of the first such designations in the Americas. This coin belongs to a long-running Casa da Moeda commemorative series celebrating Brazilian historical cities, issued in .925 silver at a modest mintage intended primarily for the collector market rather than any circulation purpose.