Numistify guide

Which Brazilian Coins Are Silver? Silver Content by Year

Brazil struck silver coins for nearly 250 years, from the colonial réis to the 5000 réis of 1938, then returned to silver only for commemoratives. Here is every silver coin by date, with its fineness and silver content.

Updated October 2026 · tables generated from Numistify’s coin templates

The short answer

Colonial and Empire silver coins, from 1695 to 1889, are almost all .917 fine — the Portuguese standard. The Republic’s 500, 1000 and 2000 réis of 1906–1913 are .900. The 2000 réis of 1924–1935 is .500, and the 5000 réis of 1936–1938 (.600) was the last Brazilian silver struck for circulation. Silver came back in 1972, after a 34-year absence, but only in commemoratives.

Brazilian silver coins by year

Not every coin is listed. This table is for reference: it covers the silver coins in Numistify’s catalogue and may not include every coin, date, variety or special issue. If your coin is not here, look it up in a world coin catalogue such as Numista or the Standard Catalog of World Coins, or ask your local coin shop.

Reading the table

Fineness is the share of silver in the coin: .900 means 90% silver. Silver (troy oz) is the pure silver it contains, the figure that sets its metal value — multiply it by the day’s silver price. KM is the coin’s number in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the quickest way to look it up. Our guide to silver and gold melt value shows the calculation.

Telling them apart

The 960 réis of 1808–1834 was generally struck over Spanish colonial 8 reales, so the old coin’s legends and even its date are often still visible. It is .896 silver, not .917. Go by the Brazilian date.

Two 500 cruzeiros, one year apart. The 1991 coin is 27 g of .925 silver; the 1992–1993 coin of the same value is 2.66 g of stainless steel.

Two 2 reais. The 1995 Ayrton Senna 2 reais is .925 silver; the 2022 bicentenary 2 reais is cupronickel.

The 1900 4000 réis, for the 400th anniversary of discovery, is a large 51 g coin in .917 silver.

What they are worth

Silver content sets a floor, not the value. A scarce date, a rare mint or a coin in fine condition can be worth far more than its metal, so check before selling any coin for its silver: look it up in a world coin catalogue such as the Standard Catalog of World Coins or the NGC World Coin Price Guide, compare auction records and eBay sold listings for the same coin in the same condition, and ask your local coin shop. Our guide to what your coin is worth walks through each step, and are old foreign coins worth anything? covers sorting a mixed lot.

Questions people ask

Are old Brazilian réis silver?

Many are. Colonial and Empire silver réis (1695–1889) are almost all .917 fine, the Republic’s 500, 1000 and 2000 réis of 1906–1913 are .900, the 2000 réis of 1924–1935 is .500 and the 5000 réis of 1936–1938 is .600. Many other réis coins were struck in copper, bronze, cupronickel or aluminium-bronze, so check the date and denomination.

When did Brazil stop making silver coins?

The last silver struck for circulation was the 5000 réis of 1936–1938. Silver returned in 1972, but only in commemorative coins.

Is the 1995 Brazilian 2 reais silver?

Yes. The 1995 Ayrton Senna 2 reais is .925 silver, 27 g. The 2022 bicentenary 2 reais is cupronickel.

Is the 960 réis silver?

Yes, .896 silver. It was usually struck over a Spanish colonial 8 reales, whose legends often still show.

Related guides

Silver and gold melt value — turning silver weight into a metal value.

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