10 Centavos Pattern

Costa Rica's 1917 coinage program was disrupted by the economic pressures of World War I, which drove silver prices up and forced reconsideration of alloy standards across Latin American mints. This pattern likely reflects an internal trial for a debased .500 fine alloy — half the purity of the preceding issues — as the government weighed cost reduction against public acceptance of a visibly inferior coin. The proposal apparently went nowhere that year; regular circulating 10 centavos pieces continued under different specifications.