Brazil was a Portuguese colony until 1808. Brazil became a kingdom within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves in 1815, and then finally achieved its independence in 1822 as the Empire of Brazil. The official currency of Brazil was the real until 1942 when it was replaced by cruzeiro. In 1994, the real was adopted once again. Original pre-1942 currency is often called old real. The first recognized Brazilian paper money was issued between 1770 and 1793 by the Administração Geral dos Diamantes (General Diamond Administration). The history of Brazil paper money is characterized by the great variety of issuing bodies. Although official government treasury notes were issued in the 1830s, private banks and regional government issues are seen well into the 20th century.
