2,000 Costa Rican Colones polymer banknote (Mauro Fernández Acuña)

2,000 Colones (Issued 2018)

Costa Rica’s deep commitment to education and environmental stewardship is powerfully embodied in the 2,000 Colones banknote, issued in 2018 by the Banco Central de Costa Rica. The note honours Mauro Fernández Acuña, the celebrated nineteenth-century Costa Rican statesman and reformer who transformed the nation’s public education system, cementing literacy and learning as founding pillars of the republic. His legacy resonated strongly with ordinary Costa Ricans, for whom access to schooling represented both social progress and national identity. Alongside this tribute to human achievement, the reverse celebrates the extraordinary marine biodiversity of Costa Rica’s coral reef ecosystems, reflecting the country’s globally recognised commitment to conservation.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Mauro Fernández Acuña, rendered in detailed intaglio work at the centre-left of the note. His bearded face and formal dress are depicted with precision, the portrait surrounded by layered guilloché patterns in shades of aquamarine, teal, and blue that sweep across the polymer substrate. To the left of the portrait, stacked open books are illustrated in pale ink, a direct allusion to Fernández Acuña’s educational reforms, and a stylised green map of Costa Rica appears with a vivid colour-shifting holographic eye, producing an iridescent green-to-gold optical variable effect under shifting light. The large numeral “2” is rendered in bold denomination typography in deep blue at the lower centre, accompanied by the text “MIL COLONES” beneath it, and the numeral “2000” appears in the upper-left corner. The issuing authority text “ACUERDO N°5” and the series reference “SERIE B” are printed in small characters at the upper centre, with the date “14 de setiembre de 2018” also visible in the upper portion. The name “MAURO FERNANDEZ ACUÑA” is inscribed in small lettering below the portrait. Two facsimile signatures from Banco Central de Costa Rica officials appear on the left side. At the right-hand edge, a large oval security window is set into the polymer, featuring a holographic element with a secondary ghost portrait of Fernández Acuña visible in greyscale within a gold-bordered transparent void. The text “COSTA RICA” and “DOS MIL COLONES” run vertically along the far right margin in blue. A purple-tinted architectural vignette — depicting a classical building facade, likely the Universidad de Costa Rica or a related institutional building — forms a ghost image in the background behind the portrait, printed in muted violet and grey tones.

The reverse presents a vivid, full-colour underwater scene celebrating Costa Rica’s coral reef environments, labelled “ARRECIFE CORALINO” in text at the upper right. At the centre of the composition, a large bull shark — identified by its species name “Carcharhinus leucas” in small caption text — is depicted in naturalistic detail, swimming through a richly illustrated coral reef scene. Bright yellow tropical fish swim above and around the reef, while orange and red coral formations rise from the seabed. A large red-orange starfish rests prominently in the lower right of the scene, and a small green sea turtle, identified with a caption, appears to the right within a glowing oval element. Palm frond or fern-like foliage is visible in pale ink at the right margin. The left side of the note carries the matching large oval security window through which the ghost portrait of Mauro Fernández Acuña is again visible in greyscale. The serial number “B000611603” is printed in blue, appearing both horizontally at the upper right and vertically along the left edge. The denomination “2000” is printed in teal at the upper left, and the large “2 MIL” denomination text is displayed in blue at the lower right. The issuing bank name “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA” is printed in bold dark blue lettering across the top of the note. A small text block near the lower centre reads “Lámina de Polímero” alongside printing credits, confirming the polymer substrate of the note.

Whether it is a single 2,000 Colones banknote or a mix of leftover currency, Webuyallcurrency.com exchanges Costa Rican Colones banknotes and other foreign coins and notes for cash in one straightforward process.

• 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

Exchange foreign coins and banknotes the easy way — Webuyallcurrency.com buys Costa Rican Colones banknotes, current or discontinued, and combines them with the rest of your leftover currency for one simple payment.

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