100000 Brazilian Cruzeiros Banknote (Juscelino Kubitschek)

100,000 Cruzeiros Cruzeiro (Issued 1985)

The 100,000 Cruzeiros note of 1985 was issued during a defining chapter in Brazilian monetary history, appearing as the country’s economy grappled with severe hyperinflation that would ultimately necessitate a complete currency reform. Issued by the Banco Central do Brasil, this high-denomination note reflects the economic pressures of the mid-1980s that drove denominations to extraordinary levels. Its issue marked one of the final stages of the original Cruzeiro series before Brazil introduced the Cruzado in 1986, effectively replacing the inflated Cruzeiro with a new monetary unit. The note stands as a document of Brazil’s turbulent economic transition during that era.

On the front, the dominant portrait is that of Juscelino Kubitschek, Brazil’s visionary President from 1956 to 1961 and the driving force behind the construction of Brasília, rendered in a finely detailed intaglio engraving that gives the image a strong sense of depth and texture. Kubitschek is depicted facing three-quarters to the right, wearing a suit, his expression confident and composed, with the engraving capturing the tonal gradation of his face and collar in precise detail. To the left of the portrait, a large industrial scene is depicted, showing what appears to be a petrochemical or infrastructure complex with towers, pipes, and heavy machinery rendered in blue-grey engraving — a reference to Brazil’s industrial development ambitions of the Kubitschek era. The background carries fine guilloché patterning across the note’s surface. At the top, the issuing authority name “BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL” is printed in bold serif capitals, while the denomination “100000” appears in the upper right corner in clean numerals. Along the lower portion, a bold dark panel carries the large numeral “100,000” in heavy typeset, followed by the text “cem mil cruzeiros” in a smaller serif font. The serial number “A 4346048723 A” appears twice on the note — once in the upper left area and once along the lower right — printed in dark ink. Two facsimile signatures are visible to the right of the portrait, attributed to senior officials of the Banco Central do Brasil, printed in a fine cursive style above their respective titles. The overall colour palette of the front is dominated by blue-grey and dark teal tones with subtle olive-green undertones in the guilloché background.

The reverse presents a highly recognisable architectural composition: the National Congress of Brazil in Brasília, depicted in a detailed engraved vignette that occupies the central portion of the note. The design shows the iconic twin towers flanked by the two distinctive dome structures — the convex Senate dome and the concave Chamber of Deputies dome — rendered with precise linework that captures the modernist geometry of Oscar Niemeyer’s celebrated design. Trees and open esplanade space are visible in the background, and the overall scene is reproduced in cool blue-grey and pale teal tones that complement the note’s general colour scheme. To the left of the central architectural scene, decorative stalks of wheat or similar grain and a stylised torch or flaming emblem add a symbolic framing element in pale yellow-gold tones. The denomination “100000” is printed in the upper right in dark numerals, accompanied by a serial number printed in small dark type. Along the lower portion of the reverse, a dark horizontal band carries the bold numeral “100,000” in large type on the left, followed by the denomination text “CEM MIL CRUZEIROS” in bold, widely-spaced capital letters, printed in white against the dark background. The paper shows the fine texture consistent with security printing of the period, and subtle show-through from the front design is visible in the lighter areas of the note.

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to exchange old coins and banknotes — a 100,000 Cruzeiros banknote from Brazil is accepted with other old or withdrawn Brazilian Cruzeiros banknotes and converted into cash in one go.

• Indicate the quantity of 100,000 Cruzeiros Cruzeiro 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, 100, 200, 500, 1000.