Catalog
1 Peso Pattern
| Issuer | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1850 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
| 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 | 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 |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central device displays the national coat of arms of Costa Rica, flanked and supported by a wreath. A circular legend arcs above the shield in the upper field, while the date appears in the lower exergual area. The overall design reflects the early republican heraldic style of Central American coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| 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 monetary situation in 1850 was genuinely chaotic — the young republic was still operating with a patchwork of colonial-era reales and foreign coins when this pattern was struck. The peso denomination itself was aspirational, reflecting Central American federation-era currency ambitions that had largely collapsed by then with the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1839.
White metal patterns of this period were typically struck in small quantities for government approval, and KM#Pn2 never advanced to circulation. The composition itself — likely a tin or pewter alloy — was a practical choice for a proof-of-concept piece rather than a production proposal.