Catalog
5 Colones
| Issuer | Banco Internacional de Costa Rica - Caja de Conversión |
|---|---|
| Year | 1929 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in dark blue-violet intaglio and presents a central vignette of a rural labour scene, with workers loading or unloading goods alongside a railway freight car, framed by tropical vegetation and palm trees to the right. The denomination 'CINCO COLONES' appears in bold letterpress at centre, with 'BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA' across the top and 'CAJA DE CONVERSIÓN' on a cartouche above the central text block. Serial number and 'Serie B' designations flank the upper portion, with the place and date 'SAN JOSE, 5 de Febrero de 1929' and 'Acuerdo No 28' to the lower right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA CAJA DE CONVERSIÓN Serie B CINCO COLONES SAN JOSE 5 de Febrero de 1929 Acuerdo No 28 EL SECRETARIO DE HACIENDA EL DIRECTOR |
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| Comments |
The Banco Internacional de Costa Rica occupied an unusual institutional position — it functioned simultaneously as a commercial bank and as the country's de facto central bank, a dual role that created persistent tensions with private banking interests throughout the 1920s. The Caja de Conversión, operating alongside it, was specifically tasked with maintaining the colón's gold parity, a commitment that was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain by 1929 as international commodity prices for coffee and bananas — Costa Rica's primary export earners — deteriorated sharply.
The American Bank Note Company printed extensively for Central American issuers during this period, often recycling plate elements across regional clients. Whether this specific design borrows engraving components from earlier ABNC work for Costa Rica or neighboring republics is worth examining closely.