5,000 Costa Rican Colones banknote (Alfredo González Flores)

5,000 Colones (Issued 2009)

The 5,000 Colones note forms part of the Modern Colón series issued by the Banco Central de Costa Rica, sitting at the higher end of the denomination range alongside notes of lesser and greater face value that share a common visual language rooted in Costa Rican heritage, natural biodiversity, and national institutions. This 2009-dated example belongs to Serie A and carries design elements characteristic of the polymer-influenced redesign period, blending intaglio portraiture with vibrant colour fields and detailed pictorial vignettes. What sets the 5,000 Colones denomination apart within its family is the combination of a celebrated national figure on the obverse and a striking wildlife subject on the reverse, making it one of the most visually distinctive notes in everyday Costa Rican circulation.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of José Figueres Ferrer, the three-time President of Costa Rica and founding figure of the modern Costa Rican state, rendered in detailed intaglio line work against a pale ground. His image occupies the left and central portion of the note, depicted in a formal jacket with a moustache, the engraving capturing subtle tonal gradations across his face and collar through dense cross-hatching typical of high-quality security printing. Behind and to the right of the portrait sits an architectural vignette of the Banco Central de Costa Rica building, illustrated in a purple-blue tint with a classical arched gateway as its centrepiece. Above this building, a small outline map of Costa Rica is visible in a deeper purple tone. The background of the note transitions through olive-yellow and gold tones across the field, with fine guilloché patterning providing texture and security across the paper surface. A vertical security strip runs along the left edge, accompanied by the repeated microtext denomination running vertically in olive green. The large denomination numerals “5000” appear in olive on the far left vertical margin, whilst to the lower right the bold typography reads “5 MIL COLONES” in dark ink, with “COSTA RICA” printed in the upper right corner. Two authorising signatures appear beneath the central vignette, one labelled “Presidente,” and a date of 2 de setiembre de 2009 is printed at the lower right. The series designation “SERIE A” appears near the upper right, and the issuing authority’s name is displayed across the building vignette.

The reverse presents a vivid, naturalistically rendered scene dominated by a white-faced capuchin monkey — Cebus capucinus — depicted in full colour standing upon a mangrove root or branch, its dark brown and white colouring rendered with considerable photographic realism against a lush green mangrove forest background. The word “MANGLAR” appears in the upper right, identifying the mangrove ecosystem that forms the backdrop to the wildlife scene. Beneath the monkey, a mangrove crab is visible on the branch, with a small descriptive label identifying both species in fine print. The background foliage is rendered in layered greens, with mangrove root structures creating a complex arboreal environment behind the central animal subject. To the left of the note, a large “5 MIL COLONES” denomination is printed in olive and dark tones, maintaining typographic consistency with the obverse. The serial number A002677646 appears twice across the upper portion of the note in black serif numerals, once to the left and once to the right. The issuing bank name “BANCO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA” runs in bold capitals along the lower edge of the reverse. The overall colour palette on the reverse is a warm yellow-green, complementing the natural subject matter and maintaining tonal harmony with the obverse design.

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to exchange old coins and banknotes — a 5,000 Colones Costa Rica banknote from Costa Rica is accepted with other old or withdrawn Costa Rican Colones banknotes and converted into cash in one go.

• Indicate the quantity of 5,000 Colones banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Turn forgotten Costa Rican Colones banknotes into money: Webuyallcurrency.com lets you exchange foreign coins and notes — even withdrawn ones — as part of one clear transaction, no specialist knowledge required.

Other Costa Rican Colones you can exchange: 1,000 colones, 2,000 colones, 10,000 colones, 20,000 colones, 50,000 colones, 500 colones.