What Is the Comparison of U.S. to Brazilian Money?

Brazil and the United States both have large economic systems that rely on a combination of paper and coin-based monetary units for day-to-day commerce. U.S. money is a currency with a relatively stable history, whereas Brazilian money has a rocky history, but has been gaining stability in recent years. Although there are differences in the two types of money, they both serve their respective populations as a method of buying and selling goods and services.

Currency Name

U.S. money is known as the dollar, and Brazilian money is known as the real.

Symbol

The Brazilian real (plural reais) uses the symbol R$, whereas the U.S. dollar (plural dollars) uses the $ symbol.

Common Bills

Frequently used bills in U.S. money are $1, $5, $10, $50 and $100. Frequently used bills in Brazilian money are R$2, R$5, R$10, R$20, R$50 and R$100.

Common Coins

Frequently used Brazilian coins are 5 centavos, 10 centavos, 25 centavos, 50 centavos and the R$1 coin. Common U.S. coins are the penny (1 cent), nickel (5 cents), dime (10 cents) and quarter (25 cents).

Counterfeit

Both the U.S. and Brazilian monies have anticounterfeit measures built into their respective bills, including intricate drawings, visual effects, translucent areas and color.

Printing

The United States Mint prints U.S. money under the authority of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Brazilian money is printed by Casa da Moeda do Brasil under the authority of the Central Bank of Brazil.