5 Colones

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.