100 Brazilian Cruzeiros Banknote (Cecilia Meireles)

100 Cruzeiros Cruzeiro Novo (Issued 1990)

Surviving examples of the 100 Cruzeiros 1990 overprint issue are fewer than one might expect, given the frantic pace of monetary reform that swept Brazil in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when successive currency changes rendered notes obsolete almost as soon as they entered circulation. This particular note represents a fascinating transitional moment: an underlying Cem Cruzados Novos banknote hastily overprinted with a bold “100 Cruzeiros” stamp as Brazil lurched from the Cruzado Novo back to the Cruzeiro, making it a physical document of economic instability. Many examples were discarded or destroyed by a public exhausted by currency changes, reducing the number that have survived in collectible condition. Historians and those who study Brazil’s turbulent monetary history regard this note as a tangible artefact of one of the most extraordinary inflationary episodes in modern South American history.

On the front, the note is dominated by a portrait of Cecília Meireles, the celebrated Brazilian poet and educator, rendered in a detailed intaglio engraving style that gives her image a refined, three-dimensional quality against a softly textured background. She is depicted facing three-quarters to the right, with her hair neatly styled, and the engraving captures fine detail in her facial features and the collar of her clothing. The background behind the portrait is filled with intricate guilloché patterning in soft olive-green and warm beige tones, interspersed with lightly printed script text — appearing to be lines of verse or handwritten notation — which adds an elegant literary dimension to the design. To the right of the portrait, a stylised floral motif in green and pale rose tones is visible, lending the composition a naturalistic quality. The serial number A 8839063818 A appears in green at both the lower left and lower right of the note. The issuing authority’s name, “BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL,” is printed prominently in dark text across the top of the note. The original denomination text “CEM CRUZADOS NOVOS” is printed in large, bold green lettering across the lower-centre of the note, with the numeral “100” appearing in the upper-right corner. Two facsimile signatures of Banco Central do Brasil officials appear to the right of centre. Most strikingly, a bold black rectangular overprint stamp bearing the text “100 CRUZEIROS” in capital letters is applied across the centre of the note, partially overlapping the portrait, confirming this as the transitional Cruzeiro reissue. The phrase “DEUS SEJA LOUVADO” — meaning “God be praised” — is printed in small text on the left-hand side, a phrase that featured on Brazilian banknotes of this era as an expression of national faith.

The reverse presents a richly illustrated composition in warm brown, terracotta, mauve, and pale blue tones, depicting a scene of Brazilian cultural and daily life rendered in a loose, expressive illustrative style. On the left, a large wading bird — consistent with a flamingo or similar long-legged species — is visible in outline, suggesting Brazil’s diverse natural fauna. The central scene shows a figure, appearing to be a child or young person, seated and engaged in reading or study, surrounded by books and geometric forms suggesting the world of learning and literacy, a fitting thematic complement to the portrait of Cecília Meireles on the front. To the right of this central vignette, a further scene depicts what appears to be an urban or architectural setting, with stylised building forms and figures, rendered in a warm reddish-brown palette. Diagonal banding of pale colour washes — in pink, blue, and green — sweeps across the composition from left to right, creating a sense of movement and providing a subtle security background. The large numeral “100” appears in dark brown at the lower left, and the text “CEM CRUZADOS NOVOS” is printed in brown lettering to its right, again reflecting the underlying Cruzados Novos base note. Decorative rosette and guilloché elements are visible in the lower corners, and the serial number ghost appears faintly at the upper right from show-through.

Whether it is a single 100 Cruzeiros banknote or a mix of leftover currency, Webuyallcurrency.com exchanges Brazilian Cruzeiros banknotes and other foreign coins and notes for cash in one straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 100 Cruzeiros Cruzeiro Novo banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com helps you exchange old coins and banknotes with no fuss, combining your Brazilian Cruzeiros banknotes with other foreign currency into a single, hassle-free cash exchange.

Other Brazilian Cruzeiros you can exchange: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 200, 500, 1000, 5000.