Santa Casa de Misericordia (1920) 5000 reis token
This specimen was lot 1081 in Steve Album Auction 52 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2025), where it sold for $288. The catalog description[1] noted, "BRAZIL: Republic, 5000 reis, ND (1920), Santa Casa de Misericordia Leprosarium token, damage, PCGS graded XF details, ex Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld Collection. In Brazil internal money was used in four leper colonies, but coins from only two are known today. The Santa Casa de Misericordia (Holy House of Mercy) was an organization that ran several leper colonies. The leprosy hospital of Tocunduba was opened in 1815 by the Santa Casa de Misericordia and inaugurated the following year as a 'Hospicio dos Lazaros' or 'Leper Hospice.' In 1917 an extensive leprosy campaign was launched, with the intention of building a new leprosarium on the outskirts of Tocunduba with the funds raised. The foundation stone of this new institution was laid on January 4, 1920. A special series of tokens were ordered in order to calm the general population's fear of lepers spreading the disease by handling money. These tokens were to be used exclusively by the leprosy patients of the hospital." Santa Casa da Misericórdia is a lay Portuguese charity founded in 1498, whose mission is to treat and support the sick, the disabled, as well as abandoned newborns. It has locations in Portugal, Angola, Spain, Macao, Mozambique and St. Thomas. There are multiple locations in Brazil. Tokens were issued in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 réis. Unlike the better known Colonia Santa Teresa tokens, none were saved for numismatists so they are scarce to rare today.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: brass, 33 mm diameter, plain edge.
Catalog reference: KM-L10.
- Amato, Claudio, and Irlei S. Neves, Livro das Moedas do Brasil, 14a ed. Sao Paulo, 2015.
- Pimentel, Alvaro Mendes, Catálogo de Moedas Brasileiras de 1643 a 1962, 9a Ed., Rio de Janeiro, 1962.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Dustin Wagner, Auction 52, featuring the Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld Collection and the Almer H. Orr III Collection, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2025.
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