Catalog
1 Peso
| Issuer | República de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1877 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in red-orange and black on plain paper, with the large denomination inscription 'UN PESO' rendered in bold gothic lettering across the upper field, flanked by the numeral '1' at each corner. A central circular vignette bears the Costa Rican national coat of arms, surrounded by the legend 'AMERICA CENTRAL'. A text panel below the heading states the note is accepted in payment at all fiscal offices in accordance with the Decree of April 4, 1877, with 'SAN JOSE' printed vertically along the left margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | UN PESO COSTA-RICA VALE UN PESO AMERICA CENTRAL Se admite en pago en todas las oficinas fiscales, conforme al Decreto de 4 de Abril de 1877. El Secretario de Hacienda El Contador Mayor |
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Costa Rica's 1877 peso notes were issued under the monetary system that preceded the colón, which wouldn't replace the peso until 1896. The República de Costa Rica issues of this period were printed by the American Bank Note Company, though the government's fiscal infrastructure remained thin — the country relied heavily on coffee export revenues to back its paper, and confidence in circulating notes was fragile at best.
Pick 111 is among the scarcer surviving examples from this series. Nineteenth-century Central American paper rarely survived the tropical humidity.