Brazil's mid-1980s monetary situation was deteriorating rapidly by the time this coin entered circulation. The cruzeiro had been redenominated once already in 1967, and the 500-cruzeiro face value — which would have been an implausible denomination a decade earlier — reflected inflation running above 200% annually by 1985. The Cruzado reform of February 1986 rendered the entire cruzeiro series obsolete almost immediately, making the production window for this type exceptionally narrow.
Brazil's mid-1980s monetary situation was deteriorating rapidly by the time this coin entered circulation. The cruzeiro had been redenominated once already in 1967, and the 500-cruzeiro face value — which would have been an implausible denomination a decade earlier — reflected inflation running above 200% annually by 1985. The Cruzado reform of February 1986 rendered the entire cruzeiro series obsolete almost immediately, making the production window for this type exceptionally narrow.