At a very young age, Raimundo Camilo left his native region to work in Rio de Janeiro, as a construction laborer or in restaurant kitchens. Following a dispute with one of his employers, he found himself homeless, disoriented, without work or money. In 1964, he was institutionalized at the Juliano Moreira Psychiatric Hospital in Rio, where he remained for more than fifty years.
He began creating his own banknotes, using colors he made himself—for example, from coffee. He draws on his knees, in front of his bed, sometimes depicting a king, sometimes a cangaçeiro, the figure of the nomadic bandit who became a hero. Camilo readily gave his banknotes to members of the hospital staff he appreciated, particularly the women.
He was later taken in by his sister in the state of Ceará.