100 Colones provisional overprint

This note belongs to a short-lived transitional series issued while the Banco Central de Costa Rica — established only in 1950 following the nationalization of the banking system after the 1948 civil war — was still building out its own independent issue infrastructure. Rather than commission entirely new plates, the bank overstamped existing stock, a practical stopgap that created a visually distinct hybrid between the old Banco Nacional issues and the incoming central bank series.

The ABNC's involvement predates the 1948 revolution; the underlying plates were already in their New York shop. Provisional overprints on ABNC-produced notes from this region tend to show ink absorption inconsistencies where the stamp crosses the original intaglio work.