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50 Céntimos Counterstamped Coinage - Type VIII
| Issuer | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the Costa Rican national arms as struck on the host coin, featuring a central shield bearing a rising sun over three volcanoes above a maritime scene, encircled by a laurel and oak wreath tied at the base. Above the shield, seven radiating stars represent the seven provinces. The circular legend REPUBLICA DE COSTA RICA arcs along the upper periphery within a beaded border, with the host date 1887 appearing in the exergue below the wreath. A large counterstamp bearing the date 1923 has been applied to the center of the shield, partially obscuring the original design. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Costa Rica's counterstamped coinage of the early 1920s was a direct response to chronic shortages of small silver denominations and the government's reluctance to commission entirely new dies. Rather than mint fresh coin, the Banco Internacional de Costa Rica authorized the counterstamping of existing foreign silver — predominantly Colombian and other Central American pieces — to legitimize their circulation at fixed tariff values. Type VIII designates a specific host coin and punch combination within this series, which numismatists have spent considerable effort cataloguing given the haphazard nature of the original stamping operations.