Catalog
20 Colones
| Issuer | Banco de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1901 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#S179 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO DE COSTA RICA VEINTE COLONES EN MONEDA DE ORO ACUÑADA San José El Banco de Costa Rica pagará EL PRESIDENTE EL DIRECTOR 20 |
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| Reverse lettering | BANCO DE COSTA RICA 20 |
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| Comments |
The Banco de Costa Rica was a private commercial bank operating under government concession — not a central bank — and its notes circulated as the country's de facto currency until the Banco Internacional de Costa Rica absorbed its functions in 1914. The American Bank Note Company produced the full range of BCR issues from New York, a typical arrangement for Central American banks of the period that lacked domestic printing infrastructure capable of the required security standards.
The S-prefix Pick reference indicates this is catalogued in the Specialized volume as a private commercial bank issue rather than a government emission. High denominations from this series surface rarely; the 20 Colones saw limited everyday use by volume relative to smaller values.