1000 Cruzado Novo #78

Front

Machado de Assis (1839–1908), Brazil's most celebrated writer and novelist, founder and first president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. Author of masterworks including 'Dom Casmurro' and 'Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas', he is regarded as the greatest writer in the Portuguese language and a pioneer of Brazilian Realism. The note bears his portrait at right with spectacles and beard, alongside excerpts from his literary works and his signature. An overprint triangle with '1 CRUZADO NOVO' indicates the currency reform that converted 1000 cruzados to 1 cruzado novo.

Back

Rua Primeiro de Março in Rio de Janeiro as it appeared in 1905, showing the historic street scene with colonial architecture, horse-drawn trams, and pedestrians. This was one of Rio's most important commercial thoroughfares during the Belle Époque era. The street connects the historic center to the port district and reflects the urban landscape of Brazil's capital during Machado de Assis's lifetime.

History

This note is part of the short-lived Cruzado Novo currency introduced in January 1989 as Brazil's response to hyperinflation under the Plano Verão economic plan. The cruzado novo replaced the cruzado at a rate of 1000:1. Due to continued hyperinflation, the currency lasted only 18 months before being replaced by the reintroduced cruzeiro in March 1990. This 1000 cruzados note was overprinted with '1 CRUZADO NOVO' to convert it to the new denomination, making it both a transitional piece and a testament to Brazil's monetary instability of the late 1980s. The note celebrates Brazil's literary heritage by featuring Machado de Assis.