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500 Réis 1st. print
| Issuer | Banco de Portugal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1891 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | 29 May 1900 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO DE PORTUGAL 500 QUINHENTOS RÉIS PRATA Lisboa 1 de Julho de 1891 O DIRECTOR PELO GOVERNADOR (Translation: Bank of Portugal Five Hundred Reis Silver Lisbon, July 1, 1891 The Director For the Governor) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | BANCO DE PORTUGAL 500 QUINHENTOS RÉIS (Translation: Bank of Portugal 500 Five Hundred Reis) |
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| Comments |
The 500 Réis of 1891 arrived during one of Portugal's most acute financial crises — the country had effectively defaulted on its foreign debt that same year, a collapse triggered by overleveraged railway speculation and a catastrophic drop in Brazilian remittances. Banco de Portugal was under severe pressure to expand note circulation precisely when public confidence in paper was at its lowest.
The "1st. print" designation matters here because subsequent printings show measurable differences in ink density and plate wear. First-print examples are the reference point for authentication against later states.