10 Brazilian Cruzeiros Banknote (Getulio Vargas Green Type)

10 Cruzeiros Mil Reis (Issued 1953-1960)

The allegorical figure of industry and labour depicted on the reverse of this ten cruzeiros note reflects Brazil’s mid-twentieth century ambition to present itself as a modernising, industrialised republic. Issued between 1953 and 1960 by the Tesouro Nacional — the National Treasury — this note circulated during a period of significant economic transformation in Brazil under successive republican governments. The series designation references the earlier Thesouro Nacional issues of 1833 to 1850, connecting this mid-century issue to a long tradition of state-backed currency production. Printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company, Limited, London, the note carries the hallmarks of that firm’s celebrated intaglio craftsmanship.

On the front, the central focus is a finely engraved portrait set within an oval frame, depicting Getúlio Vargas, the dominant political figure of twentieth-century Brazil who served as both president and dictator across multiple periods of rule. The portrait is rendered in dark olive-green intaglio engraving, showing Vargas in a suit with a white collar, his expression formal and composed, the shading of his face achieved through precise crosshatching typical of De La Rue’s hand-engraved style. The oval portrait frame is surrounded by delicate guilloché scroll-work in muted olive and pinkish-red tones that spreads symmetrically across the face of the note. The heading “REPÚBLICA DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL” runs in bold serif capitals along the top border, while the central band carries the text “NO THESOURO NACIONAL” in a curved arc above the portrait. The phrase “SE PAGARÁ AO PORTADOR” and “DESTA A QUANTIA DE” flank either side of this arc, confirming the note’s bearer-payable status. The denomination numeral “10” appears in large form to both the left and right of the portrait, printed in the same olive-green palette. In the lower margin, the text “DEZ CRUZEIROS” is printed in bold capitals, with “VALOR RECEBIDO” beneath it. The serial number 049289 appears twice — in the upper left and lower right — printed in red, alongside the stamp designation “ESTAMPA 2A SÉRIE 563A” repeated on both sides of the note in matching red text. Two manuscript signatures appear at the foot of the note, one attributed to the Diretor, Caixa de Amortização, and one to the Ministro da Fazenda, identified as Horácio Lafer. A fine guilloche border frames the entire composition, with additional rosette and lace-work corner ornaments providing further visual depth.

The reverse is printed in a single dark olive-green tone throughout, giving the design a sombre, monumental quality. The central vignette is dominated by a large allegorical figure — a winged male form representing industry or national progress — rendered in powerful intaglio engraving. The figure stands upright, muscular and heroic, holding what appears to be a hammer or implement of labour, and is flanked on both sides by industrial scenes: factory buildings with smoking chimneys rise in the background to the left and right, evoking the imagery of steel works or heavy manufacturing plants. Barrels and industrial equipment are scattered at the base of the central figure, reinforcing the theme of productive industry. The composition is framed by symmetrical guilloché panels carrying the numeral “10” in each corner, surrounded by intricate lace-pattern borders consistent with De La Rue’s security printing tradition. Along the top of the note, the partial inscription “REPÚBLICA DOS” is visible, while the lower margin carries “ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL” in bold serif capitals. The text “UNIDADE NACIONAL” appears in a small panel just above the lower legend, and the printer’s imprint “THOMAS DE LA RUE AND COMPANY, LIMITED, LONDON” runs along the very foot of the reverse.

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