100 Brazilian Cruzeiros Banknote (Duque De Caxias)

100 Cruzeiros Cruzeiro (Issued 1981-1984)

The 100 Cruzeiros note issued by the Banco Central do Brasil between 1981 and 1984 carries the weight of Brazilian national identity at a pivotal moment in the country’s history, drawing upon the imagery of independence, military heritage, and the defining figures who shaped the Brazilian state. The dual portrait design placed at the centre of this note reflects Brazil’s reverence for the leaders who steered the nation through its foundational struggles in the nineteenth century. For ordinary Brazilians of the early 1980s, these faces represented the sovereign, independent nation that had emerged from colonial rule and internal conflict. The note circulated during a period of significant economic turbulence in Brazil, when the Cruzeiro itself would eventually be replaced by successive currency reforms.

On the front, the note is dominated by two overlapping portrait engravings rendered in deep purple-blue intaglio against a predominantly pink and rose-red background. The left-hand portrait, positioned slightly to the background, depicts Dom Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil and the leader who declared Brazilian independence from Portugal in 1822, shown in profile with a regal bearing. The foreground portrait to the right depicts a similarly uniformed imperial figure identified by small printed text visible beside the image as Duque de Caxias — Luís Alves de Lima e Silva — the celebrated Brazilian military commander and national patron of the army, depicted in three-quarter view wearing a high-collared military uniform with decorative epaulettes rendered in fine engraved line work. Between the two portraits sits a central guilloché panel of intricate diamond-lattice geometric patterning in red and pink tones, providing both visual depth and an anti-counterfeiting function. The denomination numeral “100” appears in bold red typography in the upper left and lower right corners of the note. The issuing authority name “BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL” is printed in clear red serif lettering across the top and bottom borders of the note, framed above and below by bands of fine repetitive line patterns in red. Two large pale oval watermark zones are visible on either side of the central design area, left largely unprinted to allow the watermark to show. The overall paper has a warm cream tone beneath the pink overprint.

The reverse of the note presents a dramatic historical scene rendered in detailed intaglio engraving in blue-grey and purple tones depicting a military engagement, widely associated with the Paraguayan War — the War of the Triple Alliance — in which Brazilian forces, shown in period uniform with rifles and bayonets fixed, are engaged in close combat across what appears to be a defensive earthwork or bridge structure, with figures both advancing and falling in the midst of battle. This large central vignette fills the majority of the reverse face and is executed with considerable engraving detail in the figures’ uniforms, weapons, and the surrounding landscape of vegetation and fortification. At the top of the reverse, the denomination is stated in full as “100 CEM CRUZEIROS” in bold red typography, with the serial number “A 0178044392 A” printed in red at the upper right and again inverted at the lower left, indicating the standard double-print serial format used on this series. A blue security thread or overprint element is visible to the right of the upper serial number. A facsimile signature of the President of the Banco Central do Brasil appears in the upper left area of the reverse, with a further printed signature and title visible in the lower right. The top and bottom borders of the reverse mirror the fine line-rule banding seen on the obverse, maintaining design consistency across both faces of the note.

Webuyallcurrency.com buys foreign coins and banknotes for cash, including this 100 Cruzeiros banknote from Brazil. Send it in with any other Brazilian Cruzeiros banknotes you have and we will handle the exchange in a single straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 100 Cruzeiros Cruzeiro banknotes you want to exchange
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Whether you want to sell foreign coins and notes or exchange leftover currency from past trips, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts Brazilian Cruzeiros banknotes alongside modern money and settles everything in a single, easy transaction.

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