Brazil 1765-R 600 reis
This specimen was lot 32023 in Heritage sale 3135 (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $9,150. The catalog description[1] noted, "Brazil: José I 600 Reis 1765-R AU53 NGC, Rio de Janeiro mint. Curved zones type. The only example to straight grade on NGC's census, this is a deceptively scarce piece that seldom appears at auction, particularly at this level of preservation, which features outstanding dove-gray surfaces and firmly struck devices with only mild wear. Always a popular type for the Brazilian collector, and a treat nearing Mint State status. From the Grundy Collection of Latin American and Spanish Coins." This silver 600 réis was minted at the Rio mint for Brazil in 1754-74. This coin would have traded in the 18th century at about two-thirds of a Spanish dollar.
Heritage[2] commented on the "J-series" as follows: "During the reign of José I (1750-1777), with gold flowing out of the mines in the province of Minas Gerais, coins of the so-called 'J series' were struck at the Rio (R) and Bahia (B) mints for circulation in Minas. The purpose of these coins, with odd denominations of 75, 150, 300 and 600 Réis, was to facilitate the gold trade in the province. Gold value was determined in multiples of 150 Réis and corresponded to 4.5 grains (75 Réis), 9 grains (150 Réis), 18 grains (300 réis) and so on. Towards the end of the 18th century, as gold in the Minas mines diminished, the coins of the J-series were countermarked with a 'mini-shield' elevating its value to the standard 80, 160, 320, 640 Réis. Subsequently, in the first decades of the 19th century, the coins of the J series were restruck all together. Coins of this type are some of the most charismatic and challenging series in the vast realm of Brazilian numismatics, and finding a coin in higher than VF condition is extremely difficult."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 18.11 g, 0.917 fine silver, .534 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM 187, LMB-279.
- Amato, Claudio, and Irlei S. Neves, Livro das Moedas do Brasil, 14a ed. Sao Paulo, 2015.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2026 September 1 - 5 ANA World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction #3135, featuring The Vila Rica Collection of Brazilian Gold Coins, Part II, and The Grundy Collection of Latin American and Spanish Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2026.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Alberto Gomes and Francisco Antonio Magro, Moedas Portuguesas e do Território Que Hoje é Portugal: Catálogo das Moedas Cunhadas para o Continentes e Ilhas Adjacentes, para os Territórios do Ultramar e Grão-Mestres Portugueses da Ordem de Malta, 6ª Edição, Lisbon: Associação Numismática de Portugal, 2013.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Pimentel, Alvaro Mendes, Catálogo de Moedas Brasileiras de 1643 a 1962, 9a Ed., Rio de Janeiro, 1962.
- [2]Tucker, Warren, and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3009: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2010.
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