Balastraca
A Portuguese word for a Spanish colonial or independent American nation�s silver piece countermarked with a rectangle in Brazil. Within the rectangle was placed the value of 400 reis, 200 reis or 100 reis. The 400 reis piece represented 1 balastraca which had a value of 2 reales. These were counterstamped in the Rio Grande Do Sul province and used during the war with Paraguay 1865-1870.
Source: Numiscadero Spanish to English Glossary (Gary Beals)