# Brazilian real

The Brazilian real (pl. reais; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994.
As of April 2019, the real was the twentieth most traded currency.

## History

Currencies in use before the current real include:
* The Portuguese real from the 16th to 18th centuries, with 1,000 réis called the milréis.
* The old Brazilian real from 1747 to 1942, with 1,000 réis also called the milréis.
* The first cruzeiro from 1942 to 1967, at 1 cruzeiro = 1 milréis or 1,000 réis.
* The cruzeiro novo from 1967 to 1970, at 1 cruzeiro novo = 1,000 first cruzeiros. From 1970 it was simply called the (second) cruzeiro and was used until 1986.
* The cruzado from 1986 to 1989, at 1 cruzado = 1,000 second cruzeiros.
* The cruzado novo from 1989 to 1990, at 1 cruzado novo = 1,000 cruzados. From 1990, because of the Plano Collor it was renamed the (third) cruzeiro and was used until 1993.
* The cruzeiro real (CR$) from 1993 to 1994, at 1 cruzeiro real = 1,000 third cruzeiros.
The current real was introduced in 1994 at 1 real = 2,750 cruzeiros reais.
The modern real (Portuguese plural reais or English plural reals) was introduced on 1 July 1994, during the presidency of Itamar Franco, when Rubens Ricupero was the Minister of Finance as part of a broader plan to stabilize the Brazilian economy, known as the Plano Real. The new currency replaced the short-lived cruzeiro real (CR$). The reform included the demonetisation of the cruzeiro real and required a massive banknote replacement.
At its introduction, the real was defined to be equal to 1 unidade real de valor (URV, "real value unit") a non-circulating currency unit. At the same time, the URV was defined to be worth 2,750 cruzeiros reais, which was the average exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the cruzeiro real on that day. As a consequence, the real was worth exactly one U.S. dollar when it was introduced; as of June 2024, that was equivalent to R$8,08 corrected for inflation. Combined with all previous currency changes in the country's history, this reform made the new real equal to 2.75 × 10$^{18}$ (2.75 quintillion) of Brazil's original réis.
Soon after its introduction, the real unexpectedly gained value against the U.S. dollar, due to large capital inflows in late 1994 and 1995. During that period it attained its maximum dollar value ever, about US$1.20=R$1. Between 1996 and 1998 the exchange rate was tightly controlled by the Central Bank of Brazil, so that the real depreciated slowly and smoothly to the dollar, dropping from near US$1=R$1 to about US$1=R$1.2 by the end of 1998. In January 1999 the deterioration of the international markets, disrupted by the Russian default, forced the Central Bank, under its new president Arminio Fraga, to float the exchange rate. This decision produced a major devaluation, to a rate of almost US$1=R$2.
In the following years, the currency's value against the dollar followed an erratic but mostly downward path from 1999 until late 2002, when the prospect of the election of leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, considered a radical populist by sectors of the financial markets, prompted another currency crisis and a spike in inflation. Many Brazilians feared another default on government debts or a resumption of heterodox economic policies and rushed to exchange their reais into tangible assets or foreign currencies.
The crisis subsided once Lula took office, after he, his finance minister Antonio Palocci, and Arminio Fraga reaffirmed their intention to continue the orthodox macroeconomic policies of his predecessor (including inflation-targeting, primary fiscal surplus and floating exchange rate, as well as continued payments of the public debt). The value of the real in dollars continued to fluctuate but generally upwards, so that by 2005 the exchange was a little over US$1=R$2. In May 2007, for the first time since 2001 (six years), the real became worth more than US$0.50 — even though the Central Bank, concerned about its effect on the Brazilian economy, had tried to keep it below that symbolic threshold. Lula started his government in 01/01/2003 with an exchange rate of US$1=R$3.52 and finished it in 12/31/2010 with an exchange rate of US$1=R$1.66.
The exchange rate as of September 2015 was US$1=R$4.05. After a period of gradual recovery, it reached US$1=R$3 by February 2017.
Jair Bolsonaro's tenure, initially welcomed with enthusiasm by the financial markets, started with US$1=R$3.86. Fueled by meager results of the economy, quick disenchantment followed, resulting in a lack of foreign investments and a real's strong depreciation. On 13 May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which deeply affected Brazil, the real reached a historical low against the US dollar, being negotiated at US$1=R$5.90.
Following Lula's reelection in the 2022 general elections, the market, which was expected to have reacted poorly, turned out favorable in the first week. The US dollar exchange hit its lowest point since 29 August 2022, dropping from roughly US$1=R$5.30 immediately before the second round of the election, to about US$1=R$5.05 a week after Lula's win. However, two years into Lula's government, at 29 November 2024, the US dollar exchange hit its highest point in history of US$1=R$6.10.

## Coins
### First series (1994–1997)

Along with the first series of currency, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 50 centavos and 1 real on 30 June 1994; the 25 centavos piece was soon followed on 30 September 1994 due to the constant lack of change in intermediate values in the centavos range, which caused the validity of the old Cruzeiro and Cruzeiro Real banknotes to be extended for two months beyond what was initially intended for the exchange of banknotes and coins until then in circulation for new ones in the pattern that began to circulate in the second half of 1994. All were struck in stainless steel.
The coins issued in 1994 are identical in size and weight to the older cruzeiro real coins, save for the 1-centavo piece which corresponded to the even older 1000-cruzeiro coin, as no CR$1 coin was made. This influenced the replacement of this family with a newer one in 1998.
The original 1-real coins, produced only in 1994, were demonetized on 23 December 2003, due to frequent counterfeiting. All other coins remain legal tender.
First series :
| Value | Design | Emission start date | Withdrawn |
| 1 centavo | Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic. | 1 July 1994 | Current |
| 5 centavos | Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic. | 1 July 1994 | Current |
| 10 centavos | Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic. | 1 July 1994 | Current |
| 50 centavos | Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic. | 1 July 1994 | Current |
| 1 real | Obverse: Large denomination flanked by linear patterns. Reverse: Head of Republic. | 1 July 1994 | 23 December 2003 |
| 25 centavos | Obverse: Large denomination intersected by wavy lines. Reverse: Head of Republic. | 30 September 1994 | Current |

#### Commemorative coins

In 1995, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Central Bank of Brazil released two commemorative variants of the 10 and 25 centavos coins.
Circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's first series :
| Image | Value | Details |
| | 10 centavos | Release date: 31 May 1995 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Units produced: 1 million for each design Reverse: The 10 centavos coin depicts hands offering a plant shoot with folious ramifications, and the 25 centavos coin depicts crop cultivation. Both coins contain the inscriptions "FAO—1945/1995" and "alimentos para todos" (food for all). |
| | 25 centavos | Release date: 31 May 1995 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Units produced: 1 million for each design Reverse: The 10 centavos coin depicts hands offering a plant shoot with folious ramifications, and the 25 centavos coin depicts crop cultivation. Both coins contain the inscriptions "FAO—1945/1995" and "alimentos para todos" (food for all). |
Additionally, non-circulating commemorative coins have also been minted, with non-standard face values – namely R$2, R$3, R$4 and R$20 coins. Although worth more than their face value to collectors, they are nevertheless legal tender.
Non-circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's first series :
| Value | Details |
| 2 reais | Release date: 4 October 1994 Occasion: 300th anniversary of the Brazilian mint (1694–1994) Units produced: 7 thousand |
| 4 reais | Release date: 23 December 1994 Occasion: Commemorating Brazil's 4th FIFA World Cup win Units produced: 9 thousand |
| 20 reais | Release date: 10 February 1995 Occasion: Commemorating Brazil's 4th FIFA World Cup win Units produced: 2 thousand |
| 3 reais | Release date: 31 March 1995 Occasion: 30th anniversary of the Central Bank of Brazil (1965–1995) Units produced: 5 thousand |
| 2 reais | Release date: 4 December 1995 Occasion: Tribute to Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna (1960–1994) Units produced: 10 thousand |
| 20 reais | Release date: 4 December 1995 Occasion: Tribute to Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna (1960–1994) Units produced: 5 thousand |
| 3 reais | Release date: 24 October 1997 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais Units produced: 20 thousand |

### Second series (1998–present)

In 1998, a second series of coins was introduced. It featured copper-plated steel coins of 1 and 5 centavos, bronze-plated steel 10 and 25 centavos, cupronickel 50 centavos coin, and a bimetallic nickel-brass and cupronickel coin of 1 real. In 2002 cupronickel was replaced with stainless steel for the 50-centavo coin and the central part of the 1-real coin, and the nickel-brass ring was changed to a bronze-plated steel one.
In November 2005, the Central Bank discontinued the production of the 1 centavo coins, but the existing ones continue to be legal tender. Retailers now generally round their prices to the next 5 or 10 centavos.
Second series :
| Value | Design |
| 1 centavo (no longer produced) | Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Pedro Álvares Cabral, Portuguese sea captain and Brazil's colonizer, with a 16th-century Portuguese ship in the background. |
| 5 centavos | Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (also known as Tiradentes), martyr of an early independence movement known as the Minas Conspiracy. In the background, a triangle, symbol of the movement, and a dove, symbol of peace and freedom. |
| 10 centavos | Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Emperor Pedro I, Brazil's first monarch. In the background, the Emperor on a horse: a scene alluding to the proclamation of independence. |
| 25 centavos | Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, Brazil's first Republican president. The Republic's coat of arms is in the background. |
| 50 centavos | Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Depicts José Paranhos, Jr., the Baron of Rio Branco, the country's most distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the background, image of the country with ripples expanding outwards, representing the development of Brazil's foreign policy and the expansion and demarcation of the national borders. |
| 1 real | Obverse: The Southern Cross in right upper side. Reverse: Outer ring depicts a sample of the marajoara art pattern. In the inner ring, the Efígie da República, symbol of the Republic. |
In November 2019, the Central Bank had the Royal Dutch Mint produce 5 centavos and 50 centavos coins, which have a distinctive letter "A" to indicate they weren't minted by Casa da Moeda.
* Coins minted by the Royal Dutch Mint
* 5 centavos coin with mint mark
* 50 centavos coin with mint mark

#### Commemorative coins

On occasion, the Central Bank of Brazil has issued special commemorative versions of some of the standard coins. These commemorative coins are legal tender, and usually differ from the standard design only on their reverse side.
Until 2009, there were three circulating commemorative coin designs, from 1998, 2002 and 2005:
Circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series (1998–2009) :
| Value | Details |
| 1 real | Release date: 10 December 1998 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Units produced: 600 thousand Reverse: The official logo of the commemorations; in bas-relief, a human figure. In the outer ring, the inscriptions "Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and "Cinqüentenário" (50th anniversary). |
| 1 real | Release date: 12 September 2002 Occasion: The 100th birth anniversary of Brazilian former president Juscelino Kubitschek Units produced: 50 million Reverse: A face portrait of Kubitschek. Vertically, the inscription "Centenário Juscelino Kubitschek" (Juscelino Kubitschek's centenary). In the outer ring, images alluding to the columns of the Alvorada Palace, the presidential residence in Brasília, the city that he decided would be built. |
| 1 real | Release date: 23 September 2005 Occasion: The 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Central Bank of Brazil Units produced: 40 million Reverse: Image of the trademark Central Bank building, inspired in the official logo developed for the commemorations. In the outer ring, the inscriptions "Banco Central do Brasil" (Central Bank of Brazil) and "1965 40 anos 2005" (1965 40 years 2005). |
Between 2010 and 2019, many circulating commemorative coins were issued, celebrating the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. The 50th anniversary of the Central Bank and the 25th anniversary of the Real were also commemorated:
Circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series (2010–2019) :
| Value | Details |
| 1 real | Release date: 13 August 2012 Occasion: The Olympic Flag Handover for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Units produced: 2 million Reverse: The Olympic Flag in a pole above the official logo of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. In the outer ring, the inscriptions "Entrega da Bandeira Olímpica" (Olympic Flag Handover) and "Londres 2012—Rio 2016" (London 2012—Rio 2016) |
| 1 real | Release dates: 28 November 2014, 17 April 2015, 7 August 2015, 19 February 2016 (four sets of four designs) Occasion: 2016 Summer Olympics Units produced: 20 million for each design Reverse: Sixteen coin designs, representing athletics (triple jump), swimming, paralympic triathlon, golf, basketball, sailing, paralympic canoeing, rugby, football, volleyball, paralympic athletics (running), judo, boxing, paralympic swimming, and each mascot of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. |
| 1 real | Release date: 30 March 2015 Occasion: The 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Central Bank of Brazil Units produced: 50 million Reverse: The Central Bank building, its logo, and the inscription "50 anos" (50 years). |
| 1 real | Release date: 28 August 2019 Occasion: The 25th anniversary of the creation of the Plano Real (1994–2019) Units produced: 25 million Reverse: A hummingbird feeding its chicks, based on the image of the 1 real banknote. |
There were no circulating commemorative coins for the 200th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil, in 2022. Instead, the first circulating commemorative coin after the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil was released in 2024, for the 30th anniversary of the Real:
Circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series (2020–2029) :
| Image | Value | Details |
| | 1 real | Release date: 24 September 2024 Occasion: The 30th anniversary of the creation of the Plano Real (1994–2024) Units produced: 45 million Reverse: In the outer ring, the texts "30 years of the Real" and "1994 · 2024". In the inner ring, the Efígie da República, symbol of the Republic, alongside the symbol "R$". |
Similarly to the first series, non-circulating commemorative coins have also been minted, with the following non-standard face values: R$2, R$5, R$10 and R$20 coins. Likewise, even if they are worth more than their face value to collectors, they are nevertheless legal tender.
There were 18 types of non-circulating commemorative coins released from 2000 through 2009:
Non-circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series (2000–2009) :
| Value | Details |
| 5 reais | Release date: 27 October 2000 Occasion: 500th anniversary of Brazil's discovery by the Portuguese (1500–2000) Units produced: 15.286 |
| 20 reais | Release date: 27 October 2000 Occasion: 500th anniversary of Brazil's discovery by the Portuguese (1500–2000) Units produced: 6.558 |
| 2 reais | Release date: 12 September 2002 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Juscelino Kubitschek (1902–2002) Units produced: 11.414 |
| 20 reais | Release date: 12 September 2002 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Juscelino Kubitschek (1902–2002) Units produced: 2.499 |
| 2 reais | Release date: 12 December 2002 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902–2002) Units produced: 6.959 |
| 20 reais | Release date: 12 December 2002 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902–2002) Units produced: 2.499 |
| 5 reais | Release date: 20 December 2002 Occasion: Commemorating Brazil's 5th FIFA World Cup win Units produced: 9.999 |
| 20 reais | Release date: 20 December 2002 Occasion: Commemorating Brazil's 5th FIFA World Cup win Units produced: 2.499 |
| 2 reais | Release date: 2 August 2003 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Ary Barroso (1903–2003) Units produced: 4.958 |
| 20 reais | Release date: 2 August 2003 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Ary Barroso (1903–2003) Units produced: 2.481 |
| 2 reais | Release date: 18 December 2003 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the birth of Candido Portinari (1903–2003) Units produced: 2 thousand |
| 2 reais | Release date: 30 January 2004 Occasion: 100th anniversary of FIFA (1904–2004) Units produced: 12.166 |
| 20 reais | Release date: 30 January 2004 Occasion: 100th anniversary of FIFA (1904–2004) Units produced: 4.060 |
| 2 reais | Release date: 23 October 2006 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the Santos-Dumont 14-bis' famous flight (1906–2006) Units produced: 4 thousand |
| 2 reais | Release date: 4 April 2007 Occasion: Commemorating the 2007 Pan American Games, which took place in Rio de Janeiro Units produced: 10 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 4 April 2007 Occasion: Commemorating the 2007 Pan American Games, which took place in Rio de Janeiro Units produced: 4 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 4 April 2007 Occasion: 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Portuguese royal family (1808–2008) Units produced: 2 thousand |
| 2 reais | Release date: 18 June 2008 Occasion: 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigration to Brazil (via the Kasato Maru ship) (1908–2008) Units produced: 10 thousand |
From 2010 through 2019, 15 types of non-circulating commemorative coins were released:
Non-circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series (2010–2019) :
| Value | Details |
| 5 reais | Release date: 21 April 2010 Occasion: 50th anniversary of the foundation of Brasília, capital of Brazil (1960–2010) Units produced: 6 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 21 May 2010 Occasion: Commemorating the 2010 FIFA World Cup Units produced: 9 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 1 July 2011 Occasion: 100th anniversary of Ouro Preto, former capital of Minas Gerais (1711–2011) Units produced: 2 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 13 August 2012 Occasion: The Olympic Flag Handover for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Units produced: 14.127 |
| 5 reais | Release date: 29 October 2012 Occasion: Commemorating the United Nations's International Year of Cooperatives (2012) Units produced: 5 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 15 November 2012 Occasion: Commemorating the city of Goiás, former capital of the state of Goiás Units produced: 3 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 6 December 2013 Occasion: Commemorating the city of Diamantina, Minas Gerais Units produced: 3 thousand |
| 10 reais | Release date: 29 January 2014 Occasion: Commemorating the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Brazil Units produced: 5 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 29 January 2014 Occasion: Commemorating the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Brazil Units produced (2 versions): 17.819 (mascot); 19.038 (globe) |
| 2 reais | Release date: 29 January 2014 Occasion: Commemorating the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Brazil Units produced (6 versions): 19.959 (goalkeeper); 19.929 (chest); 19.723 (heading); 19.802 (pass); 19.952 (dribble); 19.993 (goal) |
| 10 reais | Release date: 28 November 2014 (100 metres); 17 April 2015 (pole vault); 7 August 2015 (freestyle wrestling); 19 February 2016 (Olympic torch) Occasion: Commemorating the 2016 Summer Olympics, which took place in Rio de Janeiro Units produced: 5 thousand (each) |
| 5 reais | Release date: 28 November 2014; 17 April 2015; 7 August 2015; 19 February 2016 Occasion: Commemorating the 2016 Summer Olympics, which took place in Rio de Janeiro Units produced (4 versions): 18.700 + 17.500 + 18 thousand + 13.850 (rowing); 18.700 + 17.500 + 17 thousand + 13.900 (cycling); 18.700 + 17.500 + 17 thousand + 13.300 (athletics); 18.700 + 17.500 + 17.759 + 13.750 (beach volleyball) |
| 5 reais | Release date: 5 December 2014 Occasion: Commemorating the city of São Luís, capital of Maranhão Units produced: 3 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 3 December 2015 Occasion: Commemorating the city of Salvador, capital of Bahia Units produced: 3 thousand |
| 5 reais | Release date: 25 November 2016 Occasion: Commemorating the city of Olinda, a city in Pernambuco Units produced: 3 thousand |
Since 2020, 3 types of non-circulating commemorative coins were released:
Non-circulating commemorative coins of the Brazilian real's second series (2020–2029) :
| Value | Details |
| 2 reais | Release date: 26 July 2022 Occasion: 200th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil (1822–2022) Units produced: 40.000 (as of 10 June 2024; 40.000 authorized) |
| 5 reais | Release date: 26 July 2022 Occasion: 200th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil (1822–2022) Units produced: 15.013 (as of 10 June 2024; 20.000 authorized) |
| 5 reais | Release date: 11 April 2024 Occasion: 200th anniversary of the first Constitution of Brazil and the creation of the Brazilian legislative body (1824–2024) Units produced: 5.614 (as of 10 June 2024; 10.000 authorized) |

#### Trial strike controversy

In 2011, a collector named Pedro Pinto Balsemão claimed to have found a trial strike of the R$1, with a never before seen design, completely different from circulating 1 real coins. Despite the initial skepticism, it was later supposedly confirmed via FOIA [pt] requests and interviews that Casa da Moeda do Brasil had minted trial strikes of the R$1 coin prior to the currency design change in 1998, with custom designs that were purposefully different to the final product as to avoid leaks.
In May 2021, however, Bentes Group published an explanation as to why the "Real Bromélia" was not included in their Brazilian coins catalog. They claim to have done extensive research into the piece, and to have concluded that it is not a trial strike or test coin, but instead a sort of vending machine token with no numismatic value.

## Banknotes
### First series (1994–2010)

In 1994, banknotes print "A" were issued by Casa da Moeda do Brasil in the amounts of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 reais, in addition to supplementary issues of banknotes ordered abroad in the values of 5, 10 and 50 reais of the print "B" produced abroad by the companies Giesecke+Devrient, Thomas de la Rue and François-Charles Oberthur Fiduciaire respectively. In 1997, modified banknotes of 1 real (print "B"), 5 and 10 reais (print "C") were launched, bearing the national flag as a watermark instead of the effigy of the republic in order to reduce the risk of such banknotes being used for counterfeiting banknotes at higher denominations. In 2000, the 10 reais commemorative banknote (print "D") was launched, and this banknote was the first polymer banknote to be issued in the country. In 2001 and 2002, the 2 and 20 reais banknotes were launched, respectively, using the sea turtle and the golden lion tamarin in the watermark and theme, and the 20 reais banknote was the first to make use of holographic elements on the Brazilian banknotes. In 2003, the print "C" of the 1 real banknote was put into circulation, which would have the name "República Federativa do Brasil" at the top in the place where the name "Banco Central do Brasil" was customarily placed, which was placed on the under the obverse of the bill, next to the word real. Such banknote ceased to be issued in 2005.
First series :
| Image | Image | Value | Dimensions | Description | Description |
| Obverse | Reverse | Value | Dimensions | Obverse | Reverse |
| | | 1 real | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Sapphire-spangled emerald hummingbird (Amazilia lactea) |
| | | 2 reais | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) |
| | | 5 reais | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Great egret (Casmerodius albus) |
| | | 10 reais | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Green-winged macaw (Ara chlorepterus) |
| | | 20 reais | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) |
| | | 50 reais | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Jaguar (Onça pintada, Panthera onca) |
| | | 100 reais | 140 mm × 65 mm | The Republic's Effigy, portrayed as a bust | Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) |

#### Commemorative banknotes

In April 2000, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Portuguese arrival on Brazilian shores, the Brazilian Central Bank released a polymer 10 real banknote that circulated along with the other banknotes above. The Brazilian Mint printed 250 million of these notes, which at the time accounted for about half of the 10 real banknotes in circulation.
| Obverse | Reverse | Value | Year | Material | Description |
| | | 10 reais | 2000 | Polymer | Obverse: Image of Pedro Álvares Cabral, the colonizer of Brazil. Reverse: Stylized version of the map of Brazil, with pictures highlighting the ethnic and cultural plurality of the country. |

### Second series (2010–present)

On 3 February 2010, the Central Bank of Brazil announced the new series of the real banknotes which would begin to be released in April 2010. The new design added security enhancements in an attempt to reduce counterfeiting. The notes have different sizes according to their values to help vision-impaired people. The changes were made reflecting the growth of the Brazilian economy and the need for a stronger and safer currency. The new banknotes began to enter circulation in December 2010, coexisting with the older ones. On 29 July 2020, the Central Bank of Brazil announced the release of the 200 reais banknote. It was released into circulation on 2 September 2020.
Second series :
| Image | Image | Value | Dimensions | Main color | Description | Description | Date of first issue | Watermark |
| Obverse | Reverse | Value | Dimensions | Main color | Obverse | Reverse | Date of first issue | Watermark |
| | | 2 reais | 121 mm × 65 mm | Blue | Wave pattern; head of Republic | Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) | 29 July 2013 | Hawksbill turtle and electrotype 2 |
| | | 5 reais | 128 mm x 65 mm | Purple | Plants; head of Republic | Great egret (Casmerodius albus) | 29 July 2013 | Great egret and electrotype 5 |
| | | 10 reais | 135 mm × 65 mm | Red | Plants; head of Republic | Green-winged macaw (Ara chlorepterus) | 23 July 2012 | Green-winged macaw and electrotype 10 |
| | | 20 reais | 142 mm × 65 mm | Yellow | Plants; head of Republic | Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) | 23 July 2012 | Golden lion tamarin and electrotype 20 |
| | | 50 reais | 149 mm × 70 mm | Brown | Jungle plants; head of Republic | Jaguar (Panthera onca) | 13 December 2010 | Jaguar and electrotype 50 |
| | | 100 reais | 156 mm × 70 mm | Cyan | Underwater plants and starfish; head of Republic; coral | Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus); coral | 13 December 2010 | Dusky Grouper and electrotype 100 |
| | | 200 reais | 142 mm × 65 mm | Grey | Savanna plants; head of Republic | Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) | 2 September 2020 | Maned wolf and electrotype 200 |
Among the security features of the second series is ultraviolet printing in the design, referred to as "fluorescent elements". These appear and glow under ultraviolet light.

## Exchange rates
### Historical exchange rate

Brazilian Reais per US dollar 2002–2021 :
| Year | Lowest ↓ | Lowest ↓ | Highest ↑ | Highest ↑ | Average |
| Year | Date | Rate | Date | Rate | Rate |
| 2002 | 11 April | 2.2640 | 10 October | 4.0050 | 2.9221 |
| 2003 | 2 July | 2.818 | 14 February | 3.7000 | 3.0780 |
| 2004 | 30 December | 2.6540 | 22 May | 3.2420 | 2.9260 |
| 2005 | 11 November | 2.1630 | 15 March | 2.7660 | 2.4349 |
| 2006 | 5 May | 2.0560 | 24 May | 2.4050 | 2.1782 |
| 2007 | 14 November | 1.732 | 5 January | 2.153 | 1.948 |
| 2008 | 31 July | 1.5620 | 5 December | 2.6210 | 1.8349 |
| 2009 | 15 October | 1.698 | 2 March | 2.4510 | 1.9974 |
| 2010 | 13 October | 1.6550 | 5 February | 1.8910 | 1.7603 |
| 2011 | 26 July | 1.5284 | 22 September | 1.9520 | 1.6750 |
| 2012 | 29 February | 1.6920 | 3 December | 2.1395 | 1.9546 |
| 2013 | 11 March | 1.9430 | 21 August | 2.4523 | 2.1576 |
| 2014 | 10 April | 2.1825 | 16 December | 2.7614 | 2.3531 |
| 2015 | 22 January | 2.5554 | 23 September | 4.2491 | 3.3910 |
| 2016 | 25 October | 3.1023 | 22 January | 4.1737 | 3.4300 |
| 2017 | 16 February | 3.0390 | 19 May | 3.3703 | 3.1855 |
| 2018 | 25 January | 3.1463 | 14 September | 4.2066 | 3.6644 |
| 2019 | 1 February | 3.6447 | 28 November | 4.2640 | 3.9437 |
| 2020 | 2 January | 4.0195 | 14 May | 5.8887 | 5.2420 |
| 2021 | 25 June | 4.9142 | 14 September | 5.8757 | 5.3975 |
| Date | Rate |
| 1994-07-01 | 1.00 |
| 1994-10-14 | 0.83 |
| 1995-02-15 | 0.88 |
| 1995-12-29 | 0.97 |
| 1996-06-11 | 1.00 |
| 1996-12-31 | 1.04 |
| 1997-12-31 | 1.12 |
| 1998-12-31 | 1.20 |
| 1999-01-12 | 1.21 |
| 1999-01-13 | 1.31 |
| 1999-01-29 | 1.98 |
| 1999-03-03 | 2.16 |
| 1999-04-30 | 1.66 |
| 1999-12-31 | 1.78 |
| 2000-12-31 | 1.96 |
| 2001-05-02 | 2.23 |
| 2001-10-15 | 2.78 |
| 2002-01-25 | 2.38 |
| 2002-04-12 | 2.27 |
| 2002-06-27 | 2.83 |
| 2002-09-30 | 3.87 |
| 2002-10-12 | 3.93 |
| 2002-10-22 | 3.96 |
| 2002-12-27 | 3.53 |
| 2003-02-18 | 3.61 |
| 2003-06-28 | 2.87 |
| 2003-09-30 | 2.93 |
| 2003-12-28 | 2.93 |
| 2004-03-31 | 2.91 |
| 2004-05-23 | 3.18 |
| 2004-06-28 | 3.10 |
| 2004-09-30 | 2.85 |
| 2004-12-28 | 2.69 |
| 2005-02-19 | 2.56 |
| 2005-03-26 | 2.73 |
| 2005-06-28 | 2.38 |
| 2005-09-25 | 2.26 |
| 2005-11-11 | 2.17 |
| 2005-12-28 | 2.36 |
| 2006-03-27 | 2.15 |
| 2006-05-07 | 2.05 |
| 2006-12-29 | 2.13 |
| 2007-11-07 | 1.73 |
| 2008-08-01 | 1.56 |
| 2009-03-03 | 2.42 |
| 2009-10-14 | 1.71 |
| 2010-12-30 | 1.66 |
| 2011-07-23 | 1.53 |
| 2012-03-18 | 1.79 |
| 2012-08-19 | 2.01 |
| 2013-03-31 | 2.01 |
| 2013-07-13 | 2.26 |
| 2013-11-01 | 2.23 |
| 2014-01-23 | 2.40 |
| 2014-02-06 | 2.40 |
| 2014-10-23 | 2.50 |
| 2014-12-16 | 2.75 |
| 2015-01-22 | 2.56 |
| 2015-02-02 | 2.71 |
| 2015-03-06 | 3.05 |
| 2015-03-19 | 3.29 |
| 2015-04-24 | 2.95 |
| 2015-04-28 | 2.88 |
| 2015-05-08 | 2.97 |
| 2015-05-29 | 3.18 |
| 2015-08-06 | 3.53 |
| 2015-09-01 | 3.69 |
| 2015-09-04 | 3.80 |
| 2015-09-17 | 3.88 |
| 2015-09-22 | 4.05 |
| 2015-09-24 | 4.24 |
| 2015-09-25 | 3.97 |
| 2015-10-02 | 3.94 |
| 2015-10-09 | 3.75 |
| 2015-11-20 | 3.69 |
| 2015-12-03 | 3.74 |
| 2015-12-09 | 3.73 |
| 2016-02-23 | 3.97 |
| 2016-03-13 | 3.58 |
| 2016-06-30 | 3.18 |
| 2016-10-25 | 3.10 |
| 2017-02-14 | 3.09 |
| 2017-05-30 | 3.26 |
| 2017-07-28 | 3.17 |
| 2017-10-30 | 3.25 |
| 2017-12-29 | 3.30 |
| 2018-04-30 | 3.48 |
| 2018-08-30 | 4.18 |
| 2018-12-28 | 3.87 |
| 2019-04-30 | 3.97 |
| 2019-08-30 | 4.13 |
| 2019-12-30 | 4.03 |
| 2020-02-28 | 4.49 |
| 2020-04-30 | 5.42 |
| 2020-05-13 | 5.90 |
| 2020-08-28 | 5.46 |
| 2020-12-30 | 5.19 |
| 2021-03-30 | 5.76 |
| 2021-08-30 | 5.19 |
| 2021-12-30 | 5.58 |
| 2022-04-29 | 4.91 |
| 2022-08-28 | 5.06 |
| 2022-12-30 | 5.21 |
| 2023-04-28 | 5.00 |
| 2023-08-30 | 4.86 |
| 2023-12-29 | 4.84 |
| 2024-03-28 | 4.99 |
| 2024-05-29 | 5.19 |
| 2024-06-28 | 5.55 |
| 2024-08-30 | 5.65 |
| 2024-10-30 | 5.78 |
| 2024-12-27 | 6.19 |
Most traded currencies by value Currency distribution of global foreign exchange market turnover vte :
| Currency | ISO 4217 code | Symbol or Abbrev. | Proportion of daily volume | Proportion of daily volume | Change (2019–2022) |
| Currency | ISO 4217 code | Symbol or Abbrev. | April 2019 | April 2022 | Change (2019–2022) |
| U.S. dollar | USD | $, US$ | 88.3% | 88.5% | 0.2pp |
| Euro | EUR | € | 32.3% | 30.5% | 1.8pp |
| Japanese yen | JPY | ¥, 円 | 16.8% | 16.7% | 0.1pp |
| Sterling | GBP | £ | 12.8% | 12.9% | 0.1pp |
| Renminbi | CNY | ¥, 元 | 4.3% | 7.0% | 2.7pp |
| Australian dollar | AUD | $, A$ | 6.8% | 6.4% | 0.4pp |
| Canadian dollar | CAD | $, Can$ | 5.0% | 6.2% | 1.2pp |
| Swiss franc | CHF | Fr., fr. | 4.9% | 5.2% | 0.3pp |
| Hong Kong dollar | HKD | $, HK$, 元 | 3.5% | 2.6% | 0.9pp |
| Singapore dollar | SGD | $, S$ | 1.8% | 2.4% | 0.6pp |
| Swedish krona | SEK | kr, Skr | 2.0% | 2.2% | 0.2pp |
| South Korean won | KRW | ₩, 원 | 2.0% | 1.9% | 0.1pp |
| Norwegian krone | NOK | kr, Nkr | 1.8% | 1.7% | 0.1pp |
| New Zealand dollar | NZD | $, $NZ | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.4pp |
| Indian rupee | INR | ₹ | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.1pp |
| Mexican peso | MXN | $, Mex$ | 1.7% | 1.5% | 0.2pp |
| New Taiwan dollar | TWD | $‎, NT$, 圓 | 0.9% | 1.1% | 0.2pp |
| South African rand | ZAR | R | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.1pp |
| Brazilian real | BRL | R$ | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.2pp |
| Danish krone | DKK | kr., DKr | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.1pp |
| Polish złoty | PLN | zł‎, Zl | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.1pp |
| Thai baht | THB | ฿, B | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.1pp |
| Israeli new shekel | ILS | ₪, NIS | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.1pp |
| Indonesian rupiah | IDR | Rp | 0.4% | 0.4% | |
| Czech koruna | CZK | Kč, CZK | 0.4% | 0.4% | |
| UAE dirham | AED | د.إ, Dh(s) | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.2pp |
| Turkish lira | TRY | ₺, TL | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.7pp |
| Hungarian forint | HUF | Ft | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1pp |
| Chilean peso | CLP | $, Ch$ | 0.3% | 0.3% | |
| Saudi riyal | SAR | ﷼, SRl(s) | 0.2% | 0.2% | |
| Philippine peso | PHP | ₱ | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1pp |
| Malaysian ringgit | MYR | RM | 0.2% | 0.2% | |
| Colombian peso | COP | $, Col$ | 0.2% | 0.2% | |
| Russian ruble | RUB | ₽, руб | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.9pp |
| Romanian leu | RON | —, leu | 0.1% | 0.1% | |
| Peruvian sol | PEN | S/ | 0.1% | 0.1% | |
| Other currencies | Other currencies | Other currencies | 2.0% | 2.4% | 0.4pp |
| Total | Total | Total | 200.0% | 200.0% | |