In 1828, Dom Pedro I signed an official document amidst the instability of the First Reign.

• Official document signed by Dom Pedro I.
• One page, in Portuguese.
• 37 cm × 46 cm.
• Rio de Janeiro, December 27, 1828.
• Delicate state of preservation; document restored.
• Unique piece.

This is an official handwritten document, dated December 1828 and signed by Dom Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil. Written in the Portuguese of the time, the text has several manually crossed-out sections, indicating possible administrative revisions or cancellations. It is possibly an imperial decree, appointment, or decision issued during the early years of the Empire of Brazil, at a time of institutional consolidation after Independence (1822). The document is difficult to read.

In December 1828, Brazil, under the rule of Dom Pedro I, was going through a period of great political and diplomatic instability. The Empire had just suffered a significant defeat with the end of the Cisplatine War, which resulted in the loss of the Cisplatine Province (present-day Uruguay), now independent after the Treaty of Montevideo. This outcome weakened Dom Pedro's prestige, already criticized for his authoritarianism and for maintaining a predominantly Portuguese inner circle. At the same time, a dynastic crisis was worsening in Portugal: his brother, Dom Miguel, had usurped the throne destined for Dom Pedro's daughter, Maria II, leading the emperor to consider abdicating the Brazilian throne. By the end of 1828, Dom Pedro was a contested monarch, torn between two empires in crisis.

The document was in a very deteriorated state, having been stored for almost two centuries inside a wooden chest in the interior of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Time, humidity, and inadequate storage significantly affected the paper and ink, resulting in stains, tears, and partially illegible passages. Despite these conditions, the document was carefully restored, following best practices in document conservation, with the aim of preserving as much as possible its historical integrity and original material.

Documents signed by Dom Pedro I are extremely rare. Because he was the first emperor of Brazil and his reign was short and turbulent (1822–1831), few official documents bearing his signature have survived to this day.