Brazil. 10 Reis 1835 - Monetary Pattern- (Essay) Regency Period

EMPIRE OF BRAZIL. Regency Period (1831–1840). 10 Réis Monetary Pattern (Essay) — 1835 — Very Rare

Lot Specifications:

Denomination: 10 Réis

Year: 1835

Period: Permanent Triune Regency / Beginning of the Single Regency of Diogo Antônio Feijó

Metal: Copper / Bronze

Detailed Description (Coinage Analysis):

As shown in the photographic record Remove background project - February 18, 2025 at 17.05.11 (94).jpg, the piece exhibits a highly refined and distinct neoclassical geometric sobriety, completely breaking away from earlier colonial designs:

Obverse (Left Panel): Features the peripheral legend in flat-relief Roman letters reading IMPERIO DO BRAZIL (using the historical spelling with the letter "Z"). In the central field stands a perfect circle filled with a horizontal hatch pattern (lined background), upon which rests the date of minting, 1835. The entire rim is surrounded by a fine, regular, and well-defined denticle border.

Reverse (Right Panel): An expressive wreath of leaves (the classic stylization evoking the two primary agricultural forces of the imperial economy: coffee and tobacco) encircles the central field, tied with a ribbon at the base. At the center, the circular medallion with the horizontally lined background is repeated, highlighting the nominal value 10 (Réis) in bold high relief. The rim features a matching denticle border.

Historical Context & Rarity:

The year 1835 sits at the heart of Brazil's highly volatile Regency Period. The circulation of copper coinage in the country was facing an unprecedented crisis due to inflation and a massive influx of counterfeit coins produced abroad or by domestic clandestine factories. To curb the chaos, the famous Law of October 3, 1833, ordered old colonial copper coins to be recalled and countermarked with the "Imperial Stamps" (Carimbos do Império), cutting their face value in half to stabilize the circulating money supply.

In the face of this profound monetary restructuring, various proposals and new designs for future coinages emerged to standardize the national currency. Pieces fully struck with the direct inscription IMPERIO DO BRAZIL and dated 1835 were never released for general circulation. Instead, they represent monetary patterns or die essays produced in extremely limited quantities for evaluation by the Regency authorities. The survival of specimens from this 1835 essay series is a monumental rarity in Brazilian numismatics.

Condition & Visual Aspects:

Grade: Very Fine (VF) to Extremely Fine (EF) / Choice Very Fine. A specimen with exceptionally sharp details for a first-half 19th-century copper pattern.

Relief and Details: The engraving of the horizontal parallel lines within the central circles is exquisitely preserved, completely lacking the central wear that usually obliterates these delicate linear elements on circulating coppers. The lettering of the legend and the foliage of the reverse wreath display excellent tridimensionality and contrast.

Surface and Patina: The metal boasts a deep, uniform, chocolate-brown cabinet patina with soft coppery undertones hidden within the protected recesses of the relief. A subtle, natural green oxidation (stable and harmless verdigris) lines a few areas around the denticles and peripheral letters, certifying its unquestionable age and preservation free of harsh chemical cleanings. The flan is perfectly intact and flat.