Catalog
| Issuer | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1850 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Milled |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | AMERICA CENTRAL 21 Qs 1 E J. B. (Translation: Central America 21 Karats 1 Escudo Juan Barth) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Costa Rica's monetary system in 1850 was in genuine flux — the young republic was actively debating coinage standards as it distanced itself from the colonial-era macuquina currency still circulating in the region. Pattern pieces from this period were struck to test proposed denominations and compositions before official adoption, and white metal was a common medium for such trials, being cheap and easy to work without committing to a silver or gold standard. The escudo as a unit was itself borrowed from the Spanish colonial framework and would soon give way to decimal reforms.
KM#A3 documents this as a pattern, meaning it never entered circulation.