Catalog
2 Colones
| Issuer | Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador |
|---|---|
| Year | 1934-1952 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of the Diosa de la Fortuna (Goddess of Fortune) seated beneath a tree, rendered in fine intaglio engraving, flanked by large numeral 2 counters and guilloche rosettes at each corner. The bank title BANCO CENTRAL DE RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR arcs across the top in bold letterpress, with the denomination DOS COLONES inscribed on a central panel below the vignette. Three signature lines for Director, Presidente, and Cajero appear at the lower portion, with the date and city of issue printed at lower left. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse carries a central vignette of Christopher Columbus, set within an ornate intaglio frame, flanked by the coat of arms of the Republic of El Salvador at left. Guilloche underprint patterns fill the background in red-brown tones, with the denomination numeral 2 repeated in the corners. A "TOMADO RAZON" control stamp with manuscript signature and date appears as an additional validation mark, characteristic of Salvadoran fiscal oversight practice of the period. |
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| Comments |
The Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador was established in 1934, and this 2 Colones note belongs to the first series the bank issued under its own authority following the consolidation of private commercial bank note issuance — a process that had been formally completed only that year. The American Bank Note Company supplied virtually all of the republic's currency printing through this period, a relationship built on decades of work across Latin America.
The series ran remarkably long for a single design, spanning nearly two decades across the political and economic turbulence of the 1940s. Notes from the early 1930s printings differ in signature combinations from later issues, and collectors sorting by signed variety will find the range considerably wider than the Pick reference suggests.