20 Centavos

The Tesoro del Gobierno Departamental of Medellín issued emergency fractional notes during the Thousand Days War (1899–1902), one of the bloodiest civil conflicts in Colombian history. Chronic coin shortages — silver had largely vanished from circulation — forced departmental and municipal treasuries across the country to print their own low-denomination paper to keep local commerce functioning. These notes had no federal backing and were only as good as the department that issued them.

Locally printed in Medellín, the production quality reflects wartime constraints rather than any established note-printing tradition in Antioquia.