Analysis of Brazilian Reais bills

If you are on a Brazil trip and a freshly squeezed mango juice is smiling at you on the side of the road, it is best to take out one of your Reais bills and treat yourself to this refreshing drink.
Even though it is quite common in Brazil to pay for every little thing with a credit card, it is still recommended to always have some cash on hand.

Since 1994, payment in Brazil is made with the Real. The new currency was implemented back then to counteract inflation and the weak economy. The Brazilian money consists of a few coins and the bills start at a value of two Reais. The ATM can spit out bills with a value of five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred Reais. On the front side, the paper is printed with the face of a woman. The imprint refers to the painting "Freedom leads the people" by the French artist Eugene Delacroix. In his painting, Delacroix depicts the July Revolution by the French people in 1830. In that year, the citizens rebelled against the then ruling king, who restricted the freedom of the press and strengthened the rights of the nobility. The revolution proceeded in the spirit of the rebels so that King Charles X abdicated, the last Bourbon rulers were deposed and a bourgeois king ascended the French throne. In Delacroix's painting, the revolution is led by Marianne, the national figure of the French Republic. She is regarded as a symbolic figure of freedom and is now also used by the Brazilians to embody the state form of the republic on their banknotes.

On the back of the Reais, bills are motifs from the Brazilian animal world. For example, the 2-reais bill depicts a hawksbill turtle, one of the five species of turtles found along the Brazilian coast. The back of the 5-reais bill shows a great egret, which you will certainly see many times during your stay in Brazil. The 10-Reais bill is printed with a macaw, a parrot species found in South and Central America. Especially the yellow-breasted macaw is known for its remarkable colorfulness. Besides the colorful yellow-breasted macaw, the blue macaw is especially widespread, which can be found in the southeastern Pantanal and the north of Brazil. Not only the colorful plumage is a special characteristic of the parrots, but also the powerful beak. The animals use this both to cracking hard nuts and as a climbing aid. Animal-protectors use themselves for the preservation of species of the parrots and promote programs for the receipt of their natural habitats. On the 20-Reais bill, the picture of the golden lion tamarin is to be recognized. This species of monkey is mainly native to the Atlantic rainforest and can be found today almost exclusively in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The golden lion monkey is a symbol for the fight against the extinction of endangered species in Brazil. The 50 Reais bill has a jaguar printed on its back. This species is also very rarely found in the wild. But with a little luck, you will see one of these impressive specimens on your trip to the Amazon or the southern Pantanal.
If you hold the Reais bill with the highest value in your hands, you will make the acquaintance of the grouper, which makes its rounds along the Brazilian coast. The groupers belong to a huge family of more than 160 different species. Depending on the species, the sizes of the fish vary accordingly, so that variations from twenty centimeters to two meters are possible. The large head and the protruding lower jaw of the grouper are particularly striking. By the way, this species of fish is also very suitable for consumption. So the 100-reais bill already provides the right inspiration for dinner.

But it is not only the Reais bills that inspire here because Brazil's rich diversity will surprise and inspire you in many ways. Experience the colorful country during your Brazil vacation and discover the most beautiful places in this tropical paradise.

Source: www.bcb.gov.br