5 Colones Series A

The Banco Central de Costa Rica was established in 1950, replacing the Banco Nacional as the country's sole currency-issuing authority — this Series A note is among the earliest issues under the new institution. The American Bank Note Company held a near-exclusive relationship with Costa Rica through much of the mid-twentieth century, and the quality of intaglio work on these small-denomination notes is noticeably finer than the lithographic output Costa Rica received from some regional printers in earlier decades.

The seven-year print window for this series is unusually broad, suggesting demand for the 5 Colón denomination remained steady through the 1950s without requiring a redesign.