Brazil 1824-R 40 reis
This specimen was lot 34059 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2024), where it sold for $145. The catalog description[1] noted, "BRAZIL. 40 Reis, 1824-R. Rio de Janeiro Mint. Pedro I. PCGS AU-55 Brown. A cacao-brown About Uncirculated representative, bearing only [m]ild wear on the highest points of the design." This specimen was struck at the Rio mint in Brazil in 1823. The minting of copper forty réis began in the mid-eighteenth century and continued until 1833, well after independence. The forty réis was the same size as that of the old twenty réis. This type was struck at Bahia 1824-30, Cuiaba 1823-31, Goias 1823-30 and Rio 1823-31. Counterfeits are numerous, particularly of the Bahia issues, which were cruder than Rio issues.
By the 1830's, so many had been issued that the public began to refuse them. In 1835, the government called them in and countermarked them to half their former value to increase their acceptance. Private and counterfeit countermarks also exist, making this series confusing but fascinating to collect.
Recorded mintage: 9,170,000.
Specification: 14.34 g, copper.
Catalog reference: KM-363.1.
- Pimentel, Alvaro Mendes, Catálogo de Moedas Brasileiras de 1643 a 1962, 9a Ed., Rio de Janeiro, 1962.
- Amato, Claudio, and Irlei S. Neves, Livro das Moedas do Brasil, 14a ed. Sao Paulo, 2015.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, May 2024 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
Link to: