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500 Réis
| Issuer | Banco de Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1891 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Reis |
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| Obverse description | Lilac intaglio on salmon-pink guilloche underprint, framed by an ornate floral and geometric border. A central vignette presents the crowned Portuguese Coat of Arms within an elaborate rosette, flanked on each side by the numeral '500' set against fine lathe-work. The note bears a hand-applied 'Funchal' domiciliation overprint in accordance with the decree of 18 July 1891. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO DE PORTUGAL 500 QUINHENTOS RÉIS PRATA Lisboa 1 de Julho de 1891 DOMICILIADA NA AGÊNCIA BANCO DE PORTUGAL NO FUNCHAL NOS TERMOS DO DECRETO DE 18 DE JULHO DE 1891. (Translation: Bank of Portugal Five Hundred Reis Silver Lisbon, July 1, 1891 Domiciled in agency of Bank of Portugal in Funchal In according with Decree of July 13, 1891.) |
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| Comments |
Banco de Portugal's 1891 issues were printed under severe pressure — the country had effectively defaulted on its external debt that same year, triggering a financial crisis that forced sharp contractions in credit and a public scramble for hard currency. Notes of this denomination circulated heavily among the working population, which is precisely why survivors in any decent state are uncommon.
The series was printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London.