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6400 Réis - João V 2nd Type of Shield, Rio de Janeiro Mint
| Issuer | Casa da Moeda do Brasil |
|---|---|
| Year | 1731-1750 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#149, Bentes#116.01-116.29 |
| Obverse description | Draped bust of King João V facing right, rendered in high relief with elaborate curled periwig falling to the truncation. The mintmark R and date appear in the lower field below the bust, flanking the truncation. A circular Latin legend surrounds the effigy along the periphery, separated from the toothed border by a narrow rim. The portrait is executed in the Baroque style characteristic of early eighteenth-century Portuguese colonial coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The 6400 réis was the largest gold denomination in colonial Brazil and the primary vehicle for moving Minas Gerais placer gold into international trade circuits — particularly to Lisbon, London, and Amsterdam. João V's reign coincided with the peak of the Brazilian gold rush, and the Rio mint was established in 1702 specifically to process that flood of raw gold before it could be smuggled out uncoined. By the 1730s, output was extraordinary: Brazil was producing more gold than any other source in the Atlantic world.
The "2nd Type" shield distinction reflects a die modification introduced at Rio to differentiate its output from the Bahia and Vila Rica mints, all three striking the same denomination simultaneously during this period.