20 Colones

The Banco Central de Costa Rica was only established in 1950, replacing the older Banco Nacional system as the country's sole issuing authority. This note is among the earliest issues from that new institution — the ink was barely dry on the enabling legislation when the first ABNCo sheets were delivered.

American Bank Note Company produced this series at a time when the firm still held most of the Central American market. The P#217 designation places this in the foundational issue sequence, before Costa Rica developed any domestic printing infrastructure.