20 Réis - Maria I (Large Type; Low and High Crowns; Lisbon)

The 20 Réis coin minted in 1786 reflects the transition of power in the Portuguese Empire following the death of King Pedro III, leaving Maria I as the sole monarch. Struck at the Lisbon mint for use in the colonial economy of Brazil, these copper pieces were essential for daily commerce, facilitating small-denomination transactions in a landscape dominated by gold and silver coinage. The 'Large Type' design represents the standardized aesthetic of the era, intended to project the authority of the Braganza dynasty across the Atlantic through clear, formal iconography.

The design features the crowned shield of the Portuguese arms on the obverse, with the denomination and date inscribed on the reverse. Variations in the 'Low' and 'High' crowns often resulted from the manual nature of die sinking during this period, where different engravers at the Lisbon mint interpreted the royal regalia with slight stylistic deviations. These coins were received by the populace as reliable mediums of exchange, though they were subject to the heavy wear common to copper currency in tropical climates, making high-grade specimens a primary focus for numismatists studying the economic reach of Maria I's reign.