1,000 Costa Rican Colones banknote (Tomás Soley Güell)

1,000 Colones (Issued 1997-2005)

The 1,000 Colones note forms part of the Banco Central de Costa Rica’s Modern Colon Issue, a series that represented a decisive step in Costa Rica’s effort to modernise its monetary system and introduce enhanced security standards across its circulating currency during the final decades of the twentieth century. Issued across a span covering 1997 to 2005, this denomination carried the legacy of earlier series whilst incorporating updated printing and authentication features appropriate to the era. The specific example depicted bears the date 9 de Abril del 2003 and the location San José, Costa Rica, printed clearly in the upper portion of the note, grounding it precisely in the institutional history of the central bank. It served as one of the higher-value everyday denominations in active circulation during a period of significant economic development in Costa Rica.

On the front, the dominant feature is an engraved portrait of Tomás Soley Güell, the Costa Rican economist and public official whose name is printed in clear black serif lettering directly beneath the image. His portrait is rendered with fine intaglio line work, showing him in a dark jacket with a white collar, facing slightly to the left, with carefully cross-hatched shading giving depth and dimension to the face and shoulders. The overall colour scheme of the front is a deep crimson-red and rose, applied across dense guilloché patterning that fills much of the background with interlocking geometric rosette and wave formations. To the upper left, the numeral “1000” is printed in bold figures, whilst to the right of centre the words “MIL COLONES” appear in prominent uppercase lettering. The serial number D63357725 appears twice — once in the lower left in dark red, and again in the upper right in a darker, more compact form. Two facsimile signatures are printed in the lower central area, with the titles “PRESIDENTE” and “GERENTE” indicating the signatories’ respective roles within the bank’s directorate. The text “ACUERDO DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA” appears in small print near the centre of the note, referencing the authorising board resolution. Along the very bottom of the note, in bold white lettering set against a deep red band, runs the full issuing authority name: “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA”, followed by the numeral “1000” at the right extremity. The paper carries fine security threads and the background guilloché work incorporates subtle diamond and lattice shapes visible throughout the field.

The reverse is printed in the same deep crimson and rose palette, with a sweeping guilloché background of interlaced curves and geometric wave patterns that frame the central vignette. The primary design element is a detailed architectural engraving of a large modern office building identified by the caption “INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE SEGUROS” printed in small, precise lettering beneath it. The building is depicted as a tall, grid-faced structure with regular fenestration across its façade, consistent with mid-twentieth-century modernist civic architecture. The rendering uses fine parallel line engraving to convey both the verticality of the tower and the lower horizontal wing of the complex. To the upper left, the text “MIL COLONES” is printed in bold, and the numeral “1000” appears prominently in the upper right corner as well as in large form along the lower left. The issuing bank name, “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA”, runs across the lower portion of the reverse in bold lettering, and in very fine print beneath this, the printer’s credit reads “FRANCOIS-CHARLES OBERTHUR”, identifying the French security printing house responsible for the note’s production. The background guilloché work incorporates a prominent diamond-shaped lozenge motif to the right of centre, adding a further layer of security patterning to the overall design.

This 1,000 Colones banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com, where old or withdrawn Costa Rican Colones banknotes are bought alongside other foreign currency — ideal for clearing a drawer of mixed coins and notes at once.

• Indicate the quantity of 1,000 Colones banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com helps you exchange old coins and banknotes with no fuss, combining your Costa Rican Colones banknotes with other foreign currency into a single, hassle-free cash exchange.

Other Costa Rican Colones you can exchange: 2,000 colones, 5,000 colones, 10,000 colones, 20,000 colones, 50,000 colones, 500 colones.