2 Colones Silver Certificate, overprinted on back

Costa Rica's 1919 government issue silver certificates were printed on existing American Bank Note Company stock — the 2 Colones plate predated this particular authorization, and the "overprinted on back" designation reflects a subsequent official validation stamp applied to adapt inventory already in hand rather than commission an entirely new printing. This kind of back-overprint practice was common in Central American fiscal administration during periods of monetary instability, when speed of issuance outweighed the cost of fresh plates.

The silver certificate designation is significant: it implies nominal specie backing at a moment when Costa Rica's convertibility commitments were already under pressure from post-WWI commodity disruptions affecting its coffee export revenues.