10 Brazilian Cruzeiros Banknote (Getulio Vargas Blue Type)

10 Cruzeiros Mil Reis (Issued 1961)

Few Brazilian banknotes of the mid-twentieth century capture the turbulent intersection of republican politics and monetary reform quite as vividly as this 1961 Tesouro Nacional issue. Produced by the American Bank Note Company and bearing the Estampa 1a, Série 621A designation, the note sits at a fascinating transitional moment in Brazilian currency history — issued under the República dos Estados Unidos do Brasil just as political and economic pressures were reshaping the nation’s financial institutions. A numismatist examining this piece would immediately recognise the hallmarks of American Bank Note Company craftsmanship: the precise intaglio engraving, the restrained but intricate guilloché work, and the deliberate layering of security design across a predominantly blue and violet colour palette.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Getúlio Vargas, the long-serving Brazilian statesman who served as President of Brazil across multiple periods between 1930 and 1954, presented within an ornate oval frame at the centre of the note. The portrait is rendered with exceptional intaglio detail, capturing Vargas in a jacket and white collar with carefully cross-hatched shading that gives the face considerable depth and dimensionality. His name, “GETULIO VARGAS,” appears in small capital lettering immediately below the portrait frame. The heading “REPÚBLICA DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL” runs across the top of the note in bold serif capitals, with “THESOURO NACIONAL” appearing in a curved banner directly beneath it in red lettering. The denomination numeral “10” appears four times across the face — in each of the four corners — in strong blue against the background field. Flanking the central portrait are elaborate guilloché rosette panels composed of fine concentric line patterns in blue and mauve tones, creating the dense geometric lacework characteristic of American Bank Note Company production. In red print, the plate reference “ESTAMPA 1a SÉRIE 621A” appears twice, once at the upper left and mirrored at the upper right. The serial number “058984” is printed twice in red — once at the upper right and once at the lower left — providing a clear contrast against the blue background. Two facsimile signatures appear beneath the central portrait, with the title “Diretor, Caixa de Amortização” attributed to Carlos Augusto Carvalho on the left and “Ministro da Fazenda” on the right. At the base of the note, the denomination is spelled out in full: “DEZ CRUZEIROS VALOR LEGAL” in bold serif type, with “AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY” printed in small capitals beneath.

The reverse is printed in a deep olive-green and dark teal palette, presenting a richly symbolic allegorical composition at its centre. A winged angelic or heroic figure — muscular and classically rendered in the tradition of nineteenth-century allegorical engraving — is depicted seated and commanding a prominent position in the middle ground, holding what appears to be a large anchor or maritime instrument. The figure is surrounded by the trappings of industry and commerce: behind and to the left, industrial structures including what appear to be factory chimneys with smoke rising are visible, while to the right, architectural ruins or columns and further industrial silhouettes recede into the background. The entire central scene is framed by guilloché border panels on the left and right, each containing the numeral “10” in oval cartouches at the top and bottom of the side panels. The partial heading “REPÚBLICA DOS” appears at the top centre in serif capitals, while the full inscription “ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL” is printed prominently at the base of the central vignette in bold capitals. The text “UNIDADE NACIONAL” appears in smaller lettering just above this lower inscription. “AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY” is printed in small capitals at the very foot of the note. The engraving throughout the reverse demonstrates the same high standard of intaglio craftsmanship as the front, with fine cross-hatching and tonal variation giving the allegorical scene considerable sculptural quality.

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Other Brazilian Cruzeiros you can exchange: 1, 2, 5, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000.