Catalog
5 Pesos
| Issuer | Banco de la Unión |
|---|---|
| Year | 1886-1889 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of a reclining lion flanked by two standing lions within an arched guilloche frame, set against an intricate lathe-work underprint. Large numeral "5" appears in each lower corner with "CINCO" in bold orange letterpress across the centre. Issuer title "EL BANCO DE LA UNION" arches across the top with "COSTA RICA" above and "Cinco Pesos" at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Variants | P#S223s - Specimen |
| Comments |
Banco de la Unión was one of several private Colombian banks authorized to issue currency under the 1880 banking law, which granted concessions to regional institutions before the Banco Nacional asserted effective monopoly control in 1894. The Union's notes circulated primarily in Bogotá and the surrounding interior, competing directly with issues from Banco de Bogotá and Banco de Colombia during a period when Colombian paper money had a genuinely fractured credibility.
ABNC produced this series from its New York facility during a phase when the company held contracts across most of Latin America simultaneously — the engraving quality is consistently high regardless of issuer prestige.