2,000 Costa Rican Colones banknote (Clodomiro Picado Twight)

2,000 Colones (Issued 1997-2005)

Banknote design has evolved considerably since the late 1990s, with modern notes increasingly relying on polymer substrates, holographic foils, and digitally generated microprinting, yet the 2,000 Colones note from Costa Rica’s 1980–2000 Modern Colon Issue demonstrates how intaglio engraving and carefully composed portraiture remain foundational to currency credibility. The use of a dominant central portrait flanked by secondary vignettes — a layout principle established centuries ago — continues to appear on contemporary banknotes worldwide, affirming its enduring communicative power. Rich warm tones combined with detailed architectural and natural imagery gave this note an immediate sense of national identity, a goal that modern currency designers still pursue with equal determination. What has changed most dramatically is the layering of machine-readable security technology beneath designs that, on the surface, owe a clear debt to traditions visible on notes such as this one.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Mauro Fernández Acuña, the Costa Rican statesman and education reformer, rendered in meticulous intaglio detail in warm reddish-brown tones occupying the right-centre of the note. His formal attire and composed expression are rendered with fine crosshatching typical of traditional banknote engraving, giving depth and texture to the face and collar. To the upper left of the portrait sits a smaller oval vignette depicting Isla del Coco, the remote Pacific island, shown with its distinctive mountainous silhouette rising above the ocean, printed in soft blue-green tones that contrast with the warmer dominant palette. The denomination “2000” appears in large bold numerals to the lower left in deep reddish-brown, accompanied by the text “DOS MIL COLONES” in clear serif typography. Along the very bottom of the note, “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA” is printed in a bold serif typeface on a darker band. The date “30 de julio de 1997” is printed at the top centre, alongside the location “SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA” and the engraver’s credit “C.LODOMIRO PICADO T.” in small uppercase lettering. The series designation “SERIE A” appears both in the upper left corner and on the right-hand side panel, while the serial number “A00364322” is printed in red on the right side, repeated vertically in red on the left margin. Two signature lines are present beneath the island vignette, labelled “PRESIDENTE” and “SUBGERENTE” respectively. A vertical security strip is embedded within the paper, visible as a darker thread running through the note. The right-hand margin features a decorative panel with a guilloché rosette pattern and a repeated “2000” numeral in a contrasting block, adding a further layer of security design. The background of the note incorporates fine guilloché latticework in soft cream and pale tones, providing a detailed anti-counterfeiting foundation across the entire surface.

The reverse presents a vivid and naturalistic composition dominated by two marine creatures rendered in precise intaglio detail against a fresh mint-green background. The larger of the two animals is labelled “TIBURON MARTILLO” — a hammerhead shark — depicted in brown-grey tones with characteristic broad, hammer-shaped head clearly delineated, positioned across the upper-left portion of the note. Beneath it, a dolphin labelled “DELFIN” glides in a graceful horizontal posture, rendered in a slightly lighter tone, both animals conveying the rich marine biodiversity of Costa Rica’s Pacific waters. To the lower left, stylised coral or seaweed forms are depicted in fine linework, grounding the marine scene in an underwater context. The left half of the note maintains the mint-green ground colour whilst the right half transitions into a soft lavender-purple panel filled with intricate wave and scroll patterns, creating a clear visual division across the note’s width. A large diamond-lattice device in gold and pale green occupies the right-centre area, forming a bold and decorative security element that catches the light. To the far right, a circular guilloché rosette — matching the design element seen on the front — is printed with fine concentric detail. The denomination “2000” appears vertically along the far right edge in large numerals, and “DOS MIL COLONES” is set in bold typography at the top left alongside the large “2000” numeral. Along the bottom, “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA” is repeated in the same bold serif band used on the obverse, unifying the note’s identity across both sides.

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• Indicate the quantity of 2,000 Colones banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

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Other Costa Rican Colones you can exchange: 1,000 colones, 5,000 colones, 10,000 colones, 20,000 colones, 50,000 colones, 500 colones.