Type details
| Country | Brazil |
| Currency | BRL |
| Denomination | 500 Cruzados |
| Series | Cruzado series |
| Series range | 1986–1989 |
| Issuer | Banco Central do Brasil |
| Issuer (native) | BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL |
| Signatures | Presidente do Conselho Monetário Nacional; Presidente do Banco Central do Brasil |
| Printer | Casa da Moeda do Brasil |
| Front portrait | Heitor Villa-Lobos |
| Reverse subject | Villa-Lobos with indigenous children and forest scene |
| Themes | artist,indigenous_culture,wildlife |
| Watermark | Portrait of Villa-Lobos in clear field at left |
| Security features | thread,microprint,intaglio,watermark |
| Colour palette | #d4c5a0,#7a9e9f,#8b9456 |
| Material | paper |
| Dimensions (mm) | 140x65 |
| Language / script | Latin |
| Languages | pt |
| Pick # | 211b |
| Rarity | common |
| Legal status | demonetized |
| Legal status date | 1990 |
| Predecessor currency | Cruzeiro |
| Successor currency | Cruzado Novo |
| Era | 1946_1989 |
| Default value (low) | 5.0 |
| Default value (high) | 15.0 |
| Value currency | USD |
Front
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959), Brazil's most celebrated classical composer and conductor, known for incorporating Brazilian folk and indigenous music into classical compositions. He composed over 2,000 works including the Bachianas Brasileiras series and founded the Brazilian Academy of Music. Behind his portrait is a stylized representation of musical staves and Brazilian vegetation, symbolizing his fusion of classical forms with native themes. The motto 'DEUS SEJA LOUVADO' (God Be Praised) appears below the denomination.
Back
Villa-Lobos conducting or teaching indigenous children in a forest setting, representing his lifelong work collecting and promoting Brazilian folk music and his involvement in music education reform in Brazil during the 1930s and 1940s. The scene depicts native vegetation and trees, emphasizing the connection between Brazilian culture, nature, and Villa-Lobos's musical legacy rooted in the country's indigenous and folk traditions.
History
This note belongs to the Cruzado series issued from 1986 to 1989, during Brazil's economic stabilization attempts. The Cruzado replaced the Cruzeiro at a rate of 1,000:1 in February 1986 as part of the Cruzado Plan to combat hyperinflation. The 500 cruzados denomination was one of the highest values in this series. Despite initial success, inflation returned, and the Cruzado was replaced by the Cruzado Novo in 1989 at 1,000:1. Villa-Lobos was chosen to honor Brazilian cultural achievement during this turbulent economic period.
Linked specimens (1)
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