50 Colones

The Banco Internacional de Costa Rica was established in 1914 as a state-owned institution, replacing the older Banco de Costa Rica and taking over its note-issuing function. This 50 Colones belongs to the bank's earliest emission period, covering only the first two years of its existence before wartime disruptions to international commerce — the First World War had already closed off routine European banking relationships — made high-denomination paper increasingly difficult to manage.

The American Bank Note Company was the obvious choice for a Central American issuer of this period; ABNC held contracts across the hemisphere and Costa Rica had used them for earlier series. At 50 Colones, this was a substantial denomination for the time, almost certainly seeing limited retail circulation.