1 Honduran Lempira Banknote (Maya Ruins Of Copan)

1 Lempira Lempira (Issued 2000-2006)

The bold serif typography across the top of this note announces “REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS, C.A.” and immediately below, in larger commanding capitals, “BANCO CENTRAL DE HONDURAS” — lettering that conveys the formal authority of a sovereign central bank and situates the note firmly within the tradition of Latin American currency design. The denomination is rendered in a clean, prominent numeral “1” at the centre, accompanied by the written text “UN LEMPIRA” in confident uppercase serif type, leaving no ambiguity as to the note’s face value. A serial number, CX473931, appears in red print, and a date — 23 de Enero de 2003 — is printed in small type near the upper portion of the face, giving precise documentary character to the issue. Together, the typographic choices reflect the restrained institutional confidence typical of Central American monetary design from this period.

On the front, the dominant feature is the portrait of Lempira, the celebrated sixteenth-century Lenca chieftain who led resistance against Spanish colonisation and whose image has become the defining symbol of Honduran national identity. His portrait is rendered in a detailed intaglio-style engraving and positioned to the right of centre, showing him in three-quarter profile facing left, wearing a traditional headband decorated with a repeating geometric pattern. The engraving captures strong, defined facial features with fine linework conveying depth and texture. To the left of the note sits the national coat of arms of Honduras — an intricate vignette showing an oval cartouche encircled by text reading “REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS LIBRE SOBERANA E INDEPENDIENTE”, enclosing imagery of mountains, a rising sun, and pine trees, all rendered in characteristic intaglio engraving. The overall colour palette of the front is a warm, unified rose-red and salmon tone printed on cream paper, with subtle lighter vertical bands creating a gentle tonal variation across the note’s field. Two facsimile signatures appear across the lower portion of the note, attributed respectively to the Presidenta and Secretario de Finanzas, printed in black beneath their respective titles. A further repetition of the serial number CX473931 appears at the lower right in red. The guilloché background work consists of fine repetitive geometric patterns that fill the note’s field, providing both visual texture and a degree of counterfeit resistance. A decorative pre-Columbian style motif — appearing as interlocked scrollwork — is visible in the centre-upper area near the serial number block, referencing Honduras’s indigenous heritage.

The reverse of the note is dominated by a detailed engraved scene depicting the Ruinas de Copán, the celebrated Maya archaeological site in western Honduras, as confirmed by the caption text “RUINAS DE COPÁN / JUEGO DE PELOTA Y ESCALINATA” printed along the lower left portion of the reverse. The scene shows an aerial or elevated perspective of the ancient ball court and stairway complex, with precisely engraved stone structures, terraced platforms, and surrounding vegetation rendered in fine linework. To the right of the central scene, a large carved stela — a monumental stone sculpture bearing a human face in relief — is depicted in considerable detail, referencing the extraordinary sculptural heritage of the Copán site. The issuing bank name “BANCO CENTRAL DE HONDURAS” appears again in bold serif capitals across the top of the reverse, maintaining typographic consistency with the front. A large decorative “1” numeral is positioned at the far right in an open, stylised form that provides a secondary denomination indicator. The text “UN LEMPIRA” appears at the lower right in matching serif capitals. The overall colour of the reverse continues the warm rose-red palette of the front, with fine background guilloché work providing texture throughout. A printer’s credit — Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited — is visible in small text at the lower right margin, identifying the security printer responsible for production.

This 1 Lempira banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com, where current Honduran Lempira banknotes are bought alongside other foreign currency — ideal for clearing a drawer of mixed coins and notes at once.

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

Whether you want to sell foreign coins and notes or exchange leftover currency from past trips, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts Honduran Lempira banknotes alongside modern money and settles everything in a single, easy transaction.

Other Honduran Lempira you can exchange: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500.