Catalog
4 Centavos de Córdoba on P#43b
| Issuer | Tesoro Nacional de Nicaragua (National Treasury of Nicaragua) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1912 |
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| Currency | First Córdoba (1912-1987) |
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| Obverse description | Black and green on multicolour underprint. Portrait of Christopher Columbus at right, flanked by three manuscript signatures below. A vertical red overprint reading 'ESTE BILLETE VALE CUATRO CENTAVOS DE CÓRDOBA' is applied across the face of the underlying P#43b 50 Centavos note, together with red order numbers. The base note carries fine guilloche work in the underprint. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in dark green intaglio on plain paper. The Nicaraguan Coat of Arms — a equilateral triangle enclosing a volcanic landscape with a liberty cap above, encircled by an elaborate guilloche ring — occupies the centre. Denomination numerals '50' appear within large ornate rosette vignettes to the left and right, with the word 'CINCUENTA' above and 'CENTAVOS' below each numeral. The issuer's name arcs around the central device, and the printer's imprint appears at the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
This note belongs to the period when Nicaragua's monetary system was in open crisis. The córdoba replaced the peso in 1912 — the same year this note was issued — as part of a broader financial reorganization carried out under heavy U.S. influence, with American advisors effectively directing Nicaraguan fiscal policy following the Knox-Castrillo Convention of 1911.
The overprint on P#43b is the origin of the fractional denomination: an existing plate was pressed into service rather than commissioning a new design, a cost-saving measure that also reflects the urgency of getting small-denomination notes into circulation quickly during the currency transition. ABNC's involvement ensured technical quality the local treasury couldn't have produced domestically.