1695 Brazil 4000 Réis

In 1695, Brazil produced its first gold coin, the 4000 Réis, using bullion from the Minas Gerais gold rush that had begun just a decade earlier.

This coin was struck at the Bahia mint on planchets likely sourced from melted-down silver coins, reflecting the era's practical recycling habits. The obverse bore the Portuguese coat of arms, while the reverse showed the value in Roman numerals. Weighing around 9 grams of 22-karat gold, it circulated amid the colony's booming mining economy.

Mintage figures for that year are uncertain; official records may have been destroyed in later fires or simply never kept. As for condition, survivors often show wear from heavy use in trade.

Not every early coin was a masterpiece; this one was functional, much like the mules that carried the gold from the mines.