The other day I was listening to the news and heard a blurb about Lady Gaga and her concert in Brazil. It got me thinking that I have no coinage from Brazil, so started searching around for something unique from that country and came across this little specimen. It is the 1972 20 Cruzeiros meant to celebrate the country's 150th anniversary of independence.
The coin is 90% silver, weighs just over 18 grams, and has a lettered edge which you will see further below. I found after doing some searching, that the figures and Brazil, have a fascinating history.
The obverse has the dates 1822 and 1972 for the 150 years of Brazilian independance, along with the country name and the busts of Pedro I and General Emilio Garrastazu Medici. With the help of Wiki and some other sites put togther a nice little Bio on these two fellas.
Pedro I was the first ruler of Brazil from 1822 to 1831. Pedro was the son of King João VI of Portugal and Queen Carlota Joaquina. Because of the Napleonic Wars, Pedro's family fled to Brazil. When his father returned to Portugal, Pedro stayed, and later led the cry for Brazilian indpendance. He became ruler of the country in 1822 until he gave up the reign in 1831 to his son Pedro II. There is a lot behind why he gave up his rein and you should look into it as it is very interesting.
General Emílio Garrastazu Médici ruled Brazil from 1969 to 1974. He ruled at the height of the country's military dictatorship. Médici is a controversial figure in Brazilian history. For his supporters, they say he brought stability and economic growth to the country. However, those that opposed him say he represented a dark period in Brazil's history. He represented a period of torture and repression. His name still is strongly associated with human rights abuses of the military dictatorship period.
The reverse of the coin has the denomination and an raised outline of the country with spokes spreading out from Braslia their capitol.
Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world. It has a good deal of diversity in its geography and culture. It is one of the most populated countries in the world with over 215 million people. The official language of of Brazil is Portuguese, which is a legacy of its colonial past.
Portugal colonized BRazil in or around 1500. It remained under their rule until Brazil declared Indenpendance in 1822. In 1889, the monarchy ended, and Brazil became a republic. During one of its most turbulent times, their was the military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, after which the country transitioned back to democracy. Brazil is now a federal presidential republic and as of 2025 is led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva .
The edge of the coin is engraveed with the phrase "SESQUICENTENÁRIO DA INDEPENDÊNCIA" which is latin for Sesquicentenary of Independence.
All in all, I found the history of Brazil to be fascinating and believe I have just scratched the surface. I found Pedro I rather interesting, as was Medici. Currently I have more material bookmarked to read about them.
If you have any further information about this coin you would like to add, like historical information I left out or want to correct any I may have gotten wrong, please drop it in the comments.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Notes:
-All content is mine unless otherwise annotated.
-Images are my own unless otherwise noted.
-Photos edited using MS Paint and/or iPhone SE.
-Page Dividers from The Terminal Discord.
