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20 Colones
| Issuer | Banco Nacional de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941-1944 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse, printed entirely in red, presents a central intaglio landscape vignette of a colonial church with a bell tower set against a mountain background, rendered in fine line engraving. The bank title BANCO NACIONAL DE COSTA RICA and DEPARTAMENTO EMISOR are inscribed along the top, while two ornate oval counters to the left and right bear the numeral 20 and the roman numeral XX respectively. The denomination legend VEINTE COLONES runs along the lower margin within a decorative frame. |
| Reverse lettering | BANCO NACIONAL DE COSTA RICA DEPARTAMENTO EMISOR 20 XX VEINTE COLONES |
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| Comments |
The Banco Nacional de Costa Rica was established in 1914 as a state-owned institution, absorbing the functions of several private banks that had issued their own competing currencies in the decades prior. By the early 1940s it held a near-monopoly on Costa Rican note issue, and this series reflects that consolidation — printed under contract with the American Bank Note Company, as was standard for most Central American governments that lacked domestic intaglio capacity.
The date range spans the early war years, during which Costa Rica aligned with the Allies following Pearl Harbor and declared war on the Axis in December 1941. Supply disruptions had minimal impact on ABNC's New York production, and the series ran without known interruption.