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50 Colones Silver certificate, 'en moneda acuñada de plata'
| Issuer | Administración de Rentas Públicas, Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Colones (50 CRC) |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of a bust portrait of Christopher Columbus within an oval medallion, flanked by large numeral 50 counters set against intricate guilloche underprint in green and multicolor. The upper margin carries the issuing authority inscription and promise-to-pay clause, while the lower margin bears the denomination legend and silver payment clause, with signature lines for El Ministro de Hacienda and El Administrador Principal below. The imprint of the American Bank Note Company appears at the bottom center. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | CINCUENTA COLONES 50 L REPÚBLICA DE COSTA RICA AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY. |
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| Comments |
Costa Rica's Administración de Rentas Públicas was not a central bank — it was the state revenue administration, pressed into issuing currency during a period when no single institution held firm monetary authority. The "en moneda acuñada de plata" clause, guaranteeing redemption in minted silver coin, was a direct response to public distrust of unbacked paper; the government understood it needed to write the promise explicitly into the note's face text to get the public to accept it at all.
The ABNCo contract for this series reflects a broader pattern: Central American governments of this period routinely sourced their security printing from New York rather than European houses, partly for cost and partly for faster turnaround across Atlantic shipping lanes.