Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Banco Central de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Orange tint on polymer substrate, dominated by a panoramic vignette of a high-altitude páramo landscape in the background. At left centre, a Chispita volcanera hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula) is rendered in fine detail, while at right a papelillo plant (Senecio oerstedianus) with its characteristic flower is illustrated, with additional rabbit motifs continuing the folkloric theme from the obverse. Scientific and vernacular labels in letterpress identify each element. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Embedded security thread with microprinting; denomination numeral changing hue on tilt; transparent polymer window incorporated into the substrate with laser-engraved design elements. |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Costa Rica's shift to polymer for its higher-denomination notes came gradually, and the 20,000 Colón value arrived in polymer after the lower denominations had already proven the format's durability in the country's humid tropical climate — a practical argument that drove the transition more than any aesthetic one. Oberthur Fiduciaire, now part of IDEMIA, handled the production, one of their more significant Latin American contracts during that period.
The transparent window is integrated into the polymer substrate itself rather than applied as a separate patch, a distinction that matters for authentication.