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1 Centavo Pattern
| Issuer | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1892 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Centavo (0.01) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central shield depicting the Costa Rican coat of arms, featuring a landscape with three volcanoes and a sailing vessel in the field, surmounted by three stars along the upper edge of the shield. The shield is flanked on either side by laurel branches tied at the base, and a prominent starburst or sunburst radiates from above the shield, with long stylized rays extending upward and outward. The entire design is set within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Denomination and date arranged in three lines at center of the field, reading '1' above 'CENTAVO' above '1892', all enclosed within a wreath of oak branches tied at the base with a ribbon bow. A small ornamental device appears at the top of the wreath. The design is contained within a beaded border. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Costa Rica's 1892 centavo pattern in aluminium belongs to a period of active monetary experimentation across Central America, when several republics were testing lightweight metals as cheaper alternatives to bronze for fractional coinage. Patterns of this type were typically submitted to government assay offices or the Banco Nacional for approval and rarely advanced to full production runs.
Whether this piece was struck in San José or at a contracted foreign mint — likely Heaton's in Birmingham, which handled much of Costa Rica's coinage in this period — remains a point of some debate among specialists.