Catalog
20 Colones
| Issuer | Banco Internacional de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| 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) | P#162 |
| Obverse description | Black intaglio print on white paper with a fine guilloche underprint. At center, the denomination numeral '20' is set within an ornate oval guilloche frame flanked by 'VEINTE' panels to each side; a classical female allegorical figure in robes stands to the right, resting against a shield. The bank title 'BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA' runs in bold lettering across the upper portion, with 'San José' at top and series and serial number designations in the lower margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed in olive-green intaglio, the reverse is dominated by an elaborate symmetrical guilloche composition centered on the large numeral '20', flanked by 'XX' panels within interlocking rosette and lathe-work frames. Corner cartouches carry the denomination numeral '20' in each angle, and the bank name 'BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA' appears in a lower central panel beneath the guilloche design. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Banco Internacional de Costa Rica was created by government decree in 1914 as a state-controlled institution, effectively absorbing the note-issuing privileges that had previously belonged to a handful of private banks. This 20 Colones belongs to the bank's earliest emission, produced before it had the operational infrastructure to manage its own printing — hence the contract with the American Bank Note Company in New York, a standard arrangement for Central American issuers at the time.
ABNC plates from this period were often retained and reused across successive printings with minimal alteration, so date and series control numbers repay close attention when attributing individual specimens.