1000 Brazilian Cruzeiros Banknote (Pedro Alvares Cabral Blue Type)

1,000 Cruzeiros Mil Reis (Issued 1961-1963)

Brazil’s mid-twentieth-century economy was shaped by a powerful combination of coffee exports, industrial expansion under successive developmental governments, and the ambitious infrastructure projects that defined the Kubitschek era, including the construction of Brasília. The cruzeiro served as the primary instrument of everyday commerce during a period of rapid urbanisation and significant inflationary pressure, circulating through markets, banks, and trading houses across a country undergoing profound transformation. A 1,000 cruzeiro denomination represented substantial purchasing power in this context, facilitating transactions in goods ranging from agricultural produce to imported manufactured items. These notes, printed by the American Bank Note Company, were integral to the formal monetary system administered by the Tesouro Nacional during the early 1960s.

On the front, the note is printed predominantly in a steel blue-grey palette on cream paper, and is dominated by a finely engraved oval portrait at its centre depicting Pedro Álvares Cabral, the Portuguese explorer credited with the European discovery of Brazil in 1500. The portrait shows him from the chest upward, rendered in detailed intaglio engraving with considerable tonal depth, and is framed within an oval border decorated with fine line work. Above the portrait, the text “THESOURO NACIONAL” is printed in a curved banner, consistent with the identifying feature of the 1833–1850 Thesouro Nacional issues series. The heading at the very top of the note reads “REPÚBLICA DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL” in bold serif capitals, establishing the issuing authority. To either side of the central portrait, the denomination numeral “1000” appears in large, bold figures, repeated in smaller form within decorative cartouches integrated into the complex guilloché background patterning. The intricate geometric lathe-work fills the fields to the left and right of the portrait, creating fine rosette and wave patterns in the characteristic engraved style of American Bank Note Company production. Serial number 049943 appears twice in red — once at the upper right and once at the lower left — alongside the stamp reference “ESTAMPA 1A SÉRIE 1765A” printed in red on both sides of the note. Two manuscript signatures appear across the lower portion of the note: one attributed to the “Diretor, Caixa de Amortização” on the left, and the other to the “Ministro da Fazenda” on the right. At the foot of the note, the denomination is confirmed in full as “MIL CRUZEIROS” in large serif capitals, with “VALOR LEGAL” printed directly beneath. The printer’s imprint “AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY” appears in small text along the very bottom edge.

The reverse is printed entirely in a warm terracotta red on cream paper and features a large, finely detailed engraved historical scene occupying most of the central field. The scene, labelled “PRIMEIRA MISSA” — meaning “First Mass” — depicts the celebration of the first Catholic Mass held in Brazil in April 1500, based on the celebrated painting by Victor Meirelles. The composition shows a priest at an altar before a large wooden cross erected among tropical vegetation, surrounded by a crowd of Portuguese sailors and indigenous Brazilians. The scene is rendered with considerable engraving finesse, with fine cross-hatching and tonal variation conveying depth and atmosphere. Palm trees and dense foliage are visible in the background. At the top of the reverse, the partial heading “REPÚBLICA DOS” is printed in bold serif capitals, flanked by the denomination numeral “1000” on both sides and by the repeated value “1000” within oval cartouches positioned in the four corners of the note. Along the lower margin, the full name “ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL” appears in bold serif capitals within a decorative border panel. The printer’s credit “AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY” is again present in small type at the very base of the reverse.

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• Indicate the quantity of 1,000 Cruzeiros Mil Reis banknotes you want to exchange
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• Your online account now shows the exchange value

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Other Brazilian Cruzeiros you can exchange: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 5000.