500 Mil Réis Thesouro Nacional, 7th. Print

Brazil's Thesouro Nacional leaned heavily on Bradbury Wilkinson throughout the late imperial and early republican decades, and this 1901 seventh print continues that dependency. The "7th print" designation matters: it signals that this particular face design had been through multiple successive print runs rather than representing a fresh issue, a common cost-saving practice for denominations in steady demand.

The 500 Mil Réis sat at the high end of everyday commerce in 1901, just as Brazil's coffee-backed economy was navigating the volatile aftermath of the Encilhamento — the speculative bubble and monetary chaos of the early 1890s that had badly damaged public confidence in paper currency. High-denomination notes from this period circulated among merchants and banking houses, not the general public, and survivor rates reflect that narrow use.