Brazilian real

Along with the first series of currency, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 50 centavos and 1 real on 30 June 1994; the 25 centavos piece was soon followed on 30 September 1994 due to the constant lack of change in intermediate values ​​in the cents range, which caused the validity of the old Cruzeiro and Cruzeiro Real banknotes to have their validity extended for two months beyond what was initially intended for the exchange of banknotes and coins until then in circulation for new ones in the pattern that began to circulate in the second half of 1994. All were struck in stainless steel.

The 1, 5, 10, 50 cents and 1 real coins issued in 1994 have dimensions of size and weight equivalent to the old 1000 cruzeiros, CR$ 5, 10, 50 and 100 respectively, which influenced the replacement of this family from 1998 onwards.

The original 1-real coins, produced only in 1994, were demonetized on 23 December 2003[9] due to how often it was counterfeited.[10] All other coins remain legal tender.

First series
Image	Value	Design	Emission start date	Withdrawn
	1 centavo	Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic.	1 July 1994	Current
	5 centavos	Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic.
	10 centavos	Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic.
	50 centavos	Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic.
	1 real	Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic.		23 December 2003
	25 centavos	Obverse: Large denomination intersected by wavy lines. Reverse: Head of Republic.	30 September 1994	Current

In 1995, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Central Bank of Brazil released two commemorative variants of the 10 and 25 centavos coins.

Circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's first series
Image	Value	Details
	10 centavos	Release date: 31 May 1995 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Units produced: 1 million for each design Reverse: The 10 centavos coin depicts hands offering a plant shoot with folious ramifications, and the 25 centavos coin depicts crop cultivation. Both coins contain the inscriptions "FAO—1945/1995" and "alimentos para todos" (food for all).[11][12]
	25 centavos

Additionally, non-circulating commemorative coins have also been minted, with non-standard face values – namely R$2, R$3, R$4 and R$20 coins.[13] Although worth more than their face value to collectors, they are nevertheless legal tender.[14]

Separated parts of the second series, post-2002 R$1 coin

In 1998, a second series of coins was introduced. It featured copper-plated steel coins of 1 and 5 centavos, brass-plated steel coins of 10 and 25 centavos, a cupronickel 50 centavos coin, and a bi-coloured brass and cupronickel coin of 1 real. However, from 2002 onwards, steel was used for the 50 centavos coin and the central part of the 1 real coin.[10][15]

In November 2005, the Central Bank discontinued the production of the 1 centavo coins, but the existing ones continue to be legal tender. Retailers now generally round their prices to the next 5 or 10 centavos.

Second series
Image	Value	Design
	1 centavo (no longer produced)	Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Pedro Álvares Cabral, Portuguese sea captain and Brazil's discoverer, with a 16th-century Portuguese ship in the background.
	5 centavos	Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (also known as Tiradentes), martyr of an early independence movement known as the Minas Conspiracy. In the background, a triangle, symbol of the movement, and a dove, symbol of peace and freedom.
	10 centavos	Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Emperor Pedro I, Brazil's first monarch. In the background, the Emperor on a horse: a scene alluding to the proclamation of independence.
	25 centavos	Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, Brazil's first Republican president. The Republic's coat of arms is in the background.
	50 centavos	Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts José Paranhos, Jr., the Baron of Rio Branco, the country's most distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the background, image of the country with ripples expanding outwards, representing the development of Brazil's foreign policy and the expansion and demarcation of the national borders.
	1 real	Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Outer ring depicts a sample of the marajoara art pattern. In the inner ring, the Efígie da República, symbol of the Republic.

In November 2019, the Central Bank had the Royal Dutch Mint produce 5 centavos and 50 centavos coins, which have a distinctive letter "A" to indicate they weren't minted by Casa da Moeda.[16]

• Coins minted by the Royal Dutch Mint
• 
  5 centavos coin with mint mark
• 
  50 centavos coin with mint mark

Commemorative 1 real coins for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. Left, allegory to Olympic boxing, right, allegory to Paralympic swimming.

On occasion, the Central Bank of Brazil has issued special commemorative versions of some of the standard coins. These commemorative coins are legal tender, and usually differ from the standard design only on their reverse side.

Circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series
Image	Value	Details
	1 real	Release date: 10 December 1998 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Units produced: 600 thousand Reverse: The official logo of the commemorations; in bas-relief, a human figure. In the outer ring, the inscriptions "Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and "Cinqüentenário" (50th anniversary).[17]
	1 real	Release date: 12 September 2002 Occasion: The 100th birth anniversary of Brazilian former president Juscelino Kubitschek Units produced: 50 million Reverse: A face portrait of Kubitschek. Vertically, the inscription "Centenário Juscelino Kubitschek" (Juscelino Kubitschek's centenary). In the outer ring, images alluding to the columns of the Alvorada Palace, the Presidential residence in Brasília, the city that he decided would be built.[18]
	1 real	Release date: 23 September 2005 Occasion: The 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Central Bank of Brazil Units produced: 40 million Reverse: Image of the trademark Central Bank building, inspired in the official logo developed for the commemorations. In the outer ring, the inscriptions "Banco Central do Brasil" (Central Bank of Brazil) and "1965 40 anos 2005" (1965 40 years 2005).[19]
	1 real	Release date: 13 August 2012 Occasion: The Olympic Flag Handover for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Units produced: 2 million Reverse: The Olympic Flag in a pole above the official logo of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. In the outer ring, the inscriptions "Entrega da Bandeira Olímpica" (Olympic Flag Handover) and "Londres 2012—Rio 2016" (London 2012—Rio 2016)[20]
	1 real	Release dates: 28 November 2014, 17 April 2015, 7 August 2015, 19 February 2016 (four sets of four designs) Occasion: 2016 Summer Olympics Units produced: 20 million for each design Reverse: Sixteen coin designs, representing athletics (triple jump), swimming, paralympic triathlon, golf, basketball, sailing, paralympic canoeing, rugby, football, volleyball, paralympic athletics (running), judo, boxing, paralympic swimming, and each mascot of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.[20]
	1 real	Release date: 30 March 2015 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Central Bank of Brazil Units produced: 50 million Reverse: The Central Bank building, its logo, and the inscription "50 anos" (50 years).[20]
	1 real	Release date: 28 August 2019 Occasion: The 25th anniversary of the creation of the Plano Real (Real Plan) Units produced: 25 million Reverse: A hummingbird feeding its chicks, based on the image of the 1 real banknote.

Similarly to the first series, non-circulating commemorative coins have also been minted, with the following non-standard face values: R$2, R$5, R$10 and R$20 coins.[13] Likewise, even if they are worth more than their face value to collectors, they are nevertheless legal tender.[14]

There were 18 types of non-circulating commemorative coins released from 2000 through 2009:

From 2010 through 2019, 15 types of non-circulating commemorative coins were released:

Since 2020, 2 types of non-circulating commemorative coins were released:

Balsemão's trial strike, nicknamed the "Real Bromélia" or "Real Balsemão"

In 2011, a collector named Pedro Pinto Balsemão claimed to have found a trial strike of the R$1, with a never before seen design, completely different from circulating 1 real coins.[21] Despite the initial skepticism, it was later supposedly confirmed via FOIA requests and interviews that Casa da Moeda do Brasil had minted trial strikes of the R$1 coin prior to the currency design change in 1998, with custom designs that were purposefully different to the final product as to avoid leaks.[22][23]

In May 2021, however, Bentes Group published an explanation as to why the "Real Bromélia" was not included in their Brazilian coins catalog. They claim to have done extensive research into the piece, and to have concluded that it is not a trial strike or test coin, but instead a sort of vending machine token with no numismatic value.[24]

In 1994, banknotes print "A" were issued by Casa da Moeda do Brasil in the amounts of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 reais, in addition to supplementary issues of banknotes ordered abroad in the values of 5, 10 and 50 reais of the print "B" produced abroad by the companies Giesecke+Devrient, Thomas de la Rue and François-Charles Oberthur Fiduciaire respectively. In 1997, modified banknotes of 1 real (print "B"), 5 and 10 reais (print "C") were launched, bearing the national flag as a watermark instead of the effigy of the republic in order to reduce the risk of such banknotes being used for counterfeiting banknotes at higher denominations. In 2000, the 10 reais commemorative banknote (print "D") was launched, and this banknote was the first polymer banknote to be issued in the country. In 2000 and 2001, the 2 and 20 reais banknotes were launched, respectively, using the sea turtle and the golden lion tamarin in the watermark and theme, and the 20 reais banknote was the first to make use of holographic elements on the Brazilian banknotes. In 2003, the print "C" of the 1 real banknote was put into circulation, which would have the name "República Federativa do Brasil" at the top in the place where the name "Banco Central do Brasil" was customarily placed, which was placed on the under the obverse of the bill, next to the word real. Such banknote ceased to be issued in 2005.

First series[25]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description
Obverse	Reverse			Obverse	Reverse
		1 real	140 mm × 65 mm	The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust	Sapphire-spangled emerald hummingbird (Amazilia lactea)
		2 reais			Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
		5 reais			Great egret (Casmerodius albus)
		10 reais			Green-winged macaw (Ara chlorepterus)
		20 reais			Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
		50 reais			Jaguar (Onça pintada, Panthera onca)
		100 reais			Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus)

In April 2000, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Portuguese arrival on Brazilian shores, the Brazilian Central Bank released a polymer 10 real banknote that circulated along with the other banknotes above. The Brazilian Mint printed 250 million of these notes, which at the time accounted for about half of the 10 real banknotes in circulation.

Obverse	Reverse	Value	Year	Material	Description
		10 reais	2000	Polymer	Obverse: Image of Pedro Álvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil. Reverse: Stylized version of the map of Brazil, with pictures highlighting the ethnic and cultural plurality of the country.

On 3 February 2010, the Central Bank of Brazil announced the new series of the real banknotes which would begin to be released in April 2010. The new design added security enhancements in an attempt to reduce counterfeiting. The notes have different sizes according to their values to help vision-impaired people. The changes were made reflecting the growth of the Brazilian economy and the need for a stronger and safer currency. The new banknotes began to enter circulation in December 2010, coexisting with the older ones.[26][27] On 29 July 2020, the Central Bank of Brazil announced the release of the 200 reais banknote.[28] It was released into circulation on 2 September 2020.[29]

Second series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main color	Description		Date of first issue	Watermark
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse
		2 reais	121 mm × 65 mm	Blue	Wave pattern; head of Republic	Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)	29 July 2013	Hawksbill turtle and electrotype 2
		5 reais	128 mm x 65 mm	Purple	Plants; head of Republic	Great egret (Casmerodius albus)	29 July 2013	Great egret and electrotype 5
		10 reais	135 mm × 65 mm	Red	Plants; head of Republic	Green-winged macaw (Ara chlorepterus)	23 July 2012	Green-winged macaw and electrotype 10
		20 reais	142 mm × 65 mm	Yellow	Plants; head of Republic	Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)	23 July 2012	Golden lion tamarin and electrotype 20
		50 reais	149 mm × 70 mm	Brown	Jungle plants; head of Republic	Jaguar (Panthera onca)	13 December 2010	Jaguar and electrotype 50
		100 reais	156 mm × 70 mm	Cyan	Underwater plants and starfish; head of Republic; coral	Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus); coral	13 December 2010	Dusky Grouper and electrotype 100
		200 reais	142 mm × 65 mm	Grey	Savanna plants; head of Republic	Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)	2 September 2020	Maned wolf and electrotype 200