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50 Céntimos Banco Internacional de Costa Rica
| Issuer | Banco Internacional de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918-1921 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Centimos (50 céntimos) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA 50 EL BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA N° Série A San José, 18 Enero 1918 PAGARÁ AL PORTADOR LA CANTIDAD DE CINCUENTA CÉNTIMOS EN MONEDA ACUÑADA DE ORO EL MINISTRO DE HACIENDA EL DIRECTOR 50 AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY. (Translation: International Bank of Costa Rica 50 The International Bank of Costa Rica No. Series A Saint Joseph, July 25, 1919 Will pay the bearer the amount of Fifty Cents in gold coin The Minister of Finance Director) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 50 BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COSTA RICA 50 50 CINCUENTA CÉNTIMOS AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY (Translation: International Bank of Costa Rica Fifty Cents) |
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| Comments |
The Banco Internacional de Costa Rica was established in 1914 as a state-controlled institution intended to break the private banking monopoly that had dominated Costa Rican finance since the nineteenth century. This small-denomination note belongs to the bank's earliest series, issued during a period when fractional currency in Costa Rica was genuinely scarce — silver coinage had been draining from circulation since the First World War disrupted trade flows and hoarding accelerated.
The ABNCo plates for this series were among the more economical commissions the New York firm handled for Central American clients during this period, reflecting the note's purely transactional, small-change function rather than any prestige printing contract.