8 Reales Type I Countermark

Costa Rica's early monetary infrastructure was almost nonexistent at independence, and the republic relied heavily on countermarked foreign silver — primarily Spanish colonial cobs and milled 8 reales — to create a recognizable domestic currency. The Type I countermark, applied 1841–42, used a small punch bearing the HABILITADA POR EL GOBIERNO lettering around a tree, authorizing the host coin for official circulation.

The host coins vary considerably in origin and condition, which complicates valuation. Bolivian, Peruvian, and Mexican hosts all appear. Authenticity of the punch itself is the central concern with this issue — forgeries of the countermark, not the host, are the documented problem.