10,000 Costa Rican Colones polymer banknote (José Figueres Ferrer)

10,000 Colones (Issued 2019)

Relatively few examples of the 2019-issue 10,000 Colones polymer banknote from Costa Rica find their way into European circulation, and those that do are typically held as curiosities rather than tendered for exchange — meaning clean, undamaged specimens are genuinely uncommon in UK currency collections. Issued by the Banco Central de Costa Rica as part of a modernised polymer series, the note replaced earlier paper issues and represents a significant step in the country’s currency infrastructure. Its combination of vibrant ecological imagery and advanced security technology has drawn sustained interest from those documenting Latin American currency design, whilst travellers returning from Costa Rica frequently find themselves holding notes they are unsure how to exchange in the United Kingdom.

On the front, the dominant feature is a large, finely engraved portrait of Rodrigo Facio Brenes, the distinguished Costa Rican economist, jurist and rector of the University of Costa Rica, rendered in a restrained grey-black intaglio style that gives his likeness considerable sculptural depth against the note’s pale ground. To the upper left of his portrait sits the denomination numeral “10000” printed boldly in black, whilst behind and to the right of the portrait a background scene depicts a graduation ceremony — robed figures appear to be tossing mortarboards into the air, rendered in a lighter, more diffuse engraving style that suggests celebration and academic achievement. The overall ground colour of the front face is a vivid lime green, produced on polymer substrate, with geometric and guilloché micro-pattern work running across the lower register in graduated tones of green and white. The denomination text “10 MIL COLONES” appears in large, confident lettering across the lower centre of the note, with the word “DIEZ MIL COLONES” printed vertically along the right-hand edge. Above the portrait, the text reads “ACUERDO N° 5, 20 de setiembre de 2019” alongside the series designation “SERIE B,” and two facsimile signatures appear to the left — one attributed to the Presidente and one to the Gerente of the central bank. On the right side of the note is a wide transparent window panel incorporating an oval security element that contains a secondary portrait — appearing to depict the same Rodrigo Facio Brenes in a smaller oval format — alongside repeated micro-text reading “BCCR” and “10 MIL COLONES BCCR 10 MIL,” the coat of arms of Costa Rica, and the numeral “10” in an optically variable device. The words “COSTA RICA” are printed vertically in black along the far right edge of the polymer sheet. A small holographic or colour-shifting map of Costa Rica is visible to the lower left, rendered in blue-green iridescent tones.

The reverse opens with a rich, naturalistic composition set against a lush green background evoking a Costa Rican rainforest — or “bosque lluvioso” as identified by the text in the upper right corner, confirming the ecological theme of this denomination. The central and dominant image is a three-toed sloth clinging to a tree trunk, depicted in beautifully detailed intaglio engraving that captures the texture of the animal’s fur, the grip of its long curved claws, and the dappled light filtering through the jungle canopy behind it. Broad tropical leaves fan out across the background, and in the lower right foreground, clusters of mushrooms with red caps are visible amongst the forest floor vegetation, adding further botanical specificity to the scene. To the upper right, yellow tropical flowers appear in soft offset printing, complementing the dominant greens. The issuing authority is identified clearly along the top edge in dark green text: “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA.” The serial number “B057235354” is printed in black along the upper right area of the note, with the same serial number repeated vertically along the left edge. The denomination “10 MIL COLONES” is displayed prominently in large black lettering in the lower right corner, with the numeral “10000” printed vertically along the far left edge. The transparent security window on the left side of the reverse shows the same oval portrait and repeating micro-text visible from the front, now viewed from the opposite side, with the “BCCR” and denomination text legible in the window band. The polymer substrate gives the entire reverse a smooth, slightly lustrous surface finish distinct from conventional paper currency.

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to exchange old coins and banknotes — a 10,000 Colones Costa Rica banknote from Costa Rica is accepted with other current Costa Rican Colones banknotes and converted into cash in one go.

• Indicate the quantity of 10,000 Colones banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com buys and exchanges foreign currency of every kind, so your Costa Rican Colones banknotes — withdrawn or current — can be sold for cash together with the rest of your leftover coins and notes.

Other Costa Rican Colones you can exchange: 1,000 colones, 2,000 colones, 5,000 colones, 20,000 colones, 50,000 colones, 500 colones.