The R$200 note is on the eve of completing three years of existence and remains the least circulated in Brazil, even behind the R$1 note, which has ceased to be produced since 2020
With the same physical size as the R$20 bill, this banknote received criticism from associations that defend the rights of people with disabilities visual, since the differentiation of values through different sizes for each note allows those with visual impairment to be able to identify them.
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This issue led the National Organization for the Blind of Brazil (ONCB) to call the Federal Public Defender's Office, which filed a lawsuit against the central bank. An official request was made to collect the ballots, but it did not go ahead. Since then, this issue has been pending without a definitive resolution, despite receiving much criticism.
The unpopular quirks of the note
The choice of an unconventional size for the R$200 note was made because, at the time, the Central Bank did not want to interrupt the production of other banknotes to make room for a new note. In addition, the method of making the R$100 banknotes did not allow for the inclusion of the security elements present in the R$200 banknote.
The solution found was to use the machines that produced the R$20 note (in the case of the R$200 note, this mark tactile is represented by three slanted lines, while the one for R$ 20 has two lines), making the necessary modifications. The Central Bank argues that visually impaired people can identify and distinguish new banknote by means of a tactile mark, an embossed feature present on all notes of the real.
However, the Public Defender's Office points out that, over time, the relief tends to wear out, making the banknote “similar or even equal” to the R$20 bill for those with severe visual impairment. Therefore, the objective of the action is to collect banknotes already in circulation and issue new banknotes in the appropriate size, allowing for easier differentiation. The process is in the evidence production phase, with no date set for the next hearings.
Despite the years that have passed, only 28.4% of the R$200 banknotes produced have been put into circulation by the Central Bank. This corresponds to 128.1 million bills, with a total value of R$ 25.6 billion. The remainder is stored at the Central Bank. All ballots were issued and delivered to the Central Bank in 2020, during the pandemic, when they were officially launched. Since then, no new R$200 bill has been printed.
Despite their limited circulation, R$200 banknotes are among those preferred by counterfeiters. According to the most recent data from the Central Bank, until April this year, 13,609 counterfeit R$200 bills were seized, totaling R$2.721 million.
