50 Colones Series E

Thomas De La Rue had printed Costa Rican currency for decades by the time this series entered circulation, and the relationship showed no signs of strain — the Banco Central maintained the arrangement through successive peso and colón series well into the 1990s. The Series E designation distinguishes it from earlier signature varieties on the same basic design, a common administrative device that allowed the bank to track accountability periods without requiring a full redesign.

The colón had already weathered significant inflationary pressure through the early 1980s debt crisis, and by the time these notes were being issued, the 50-colón denomination had lost much of its practical purchasing weight.