80 Reis of João VI

This 80 Reis coin was struck in Rio de Janeiro to fund the Portuguese court’s operations in exile, turning a foreign city into an unlikely mint.

Weighing about 3.5 grams of silver, it featured the royal arms on one side and the value on the other, a design meant for wide circulation in Brazil. Records show variations in die quality, likely due to the rush of setting up production far from Lisbon. Mintage figures for specific years remain unclear; archives burned in the 1838 fire at the Torre do Tombo.

Edge lettering, a common anti-counterfeiting measure, sometimes wore thin from use in tropical markets. Don't ask me why they didn't just stick to gold—evidently, silver was what the exchequer had on hand.