10 Colones Banco Anglo Costarricense

Banco Anglo Costarricense was the oldest commercial bank in Central America, founded in 1863 with British capital and operating under a concession that gave it note-issuing authority alongside the other chartered banks of the republic. By the time this series entered circulation, Costa Rica had already survived several monetary crises tied to coffee export volatility, and the competing notes of multiple private banks created persistent public confusion about which paper was actually redeemable.

Bradbury Wilkinson's engraved intaglio work was a deliberate signal of institutional credibility — the same London firm printed notes for governments across the British Empire and Latin America throughout this period.