10 Centavos

Costa Rica's silver coinage underwent a significant debasement in the early twentieth century as the country struggled with fiscal pressures tied to fluctuating coffee export revenues — the backbone of the national economy. The 1917 issue reflects the reduced fineness adopted during this period, dropping to .500 silver from the higher-grade compositions used in earlier decades. KM#148 is a short-lived type, replaced within a few years as wartime metal economics continued reshaping Central American monetary policy.