10 centavos 1888
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This is a Colombian 10 Centavos note from 1888, issued by the Banco Nacional de la República de Colombia and printed by the American Bank Note Company. The note displays the characteristic ornate Victorian-era design with the Colombian national coat of arms (heraldic eagle) prominently featured on the left side, surrounded by elaborate floral and scrollwork borders in black printing on a beige/tan underprint. In VG (Very Good) condition, the note shows significant aging with extensive foxing, staining, and creasing consistent with heavy circulation over more than a century, making it an interesting example of early Colombian monetary history.
common
This note was issued in 1888, during a formative period of Colombian banking when the Banco Nacional de la República de Colombia served as the central issuing authority. The prominent display of the Colombian national coat of arms with its heraldic eagle reflects the nation's post-independence consolidation and efforts to establish institutional legitimacy through formal state symbolism. The use of American Bank Note Company for printing was typical of Latin American countries during this era, as ABNC had become the primary security printer for several republics seeking advanced, hard-to-counterfeit currency designs.
The obverse features a beige/tan colored field with black printing throughout. The central design is dominated by Colombia's national coat of arms—a heraldic eagle in a circular design—positioned on the left side of the note. The denomination 'DIEZ CENTAVOS' appears prominently in the upper corners. Ornate Victorian-era decorative borders frame the note with elaborate floral scrollwork and geometric patterns. Multiple signature lines for bank officials appear in the lower portion ('EL DIRECTOR GERENTE' and 'DIRECTOR'). The reverse continues the decorative theme with a large ornate circular design containing the denomination numeral '10' in the upper left, surrounded by complex geometric and fine-line security patterns typical of ABNC's premium engraving work. The promise-to-pay clause 'PAGARÁ AL PORTADOR A LA VISTA' indicates this was a demand note payable to bearer on presentation.
FRONT: 'BANCO NACIONAL DE LA REPÚBLICA COLOMBIA' (National Bank of the Republic of Colombia) | 'SERIE K' (Series K) | 'PAGARÁ AL PORTADOR A LA VISTA' (Will pay to bearer on sight) | 'DIEZ CENTAVOS' (Ten centavos) | 'BOGOTÁ, MARZO 18 DE 1888' (Bogotá, March 18, 1888) | 'EL DIRECTOR GERENTE' (The Managing Director) | 'DIRECTOR' (Director) | 'American Bank Note Co., New York' (American Bank Note Co., New York). BACK: '10' (denomination numeral) | 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK' (American Bank Note Company, New York).
Intaglio engraving (line engraving), the signature security printing method of the American Bank Note Company. The visual analysis confirms the presence of fine line engraving throughout, intricate geometric patterns, complex decorative borders, and elaborate scrollwork—all hallmarks of intaglio security printing. ABNC employed this technique to create the detailed, finely-lined patterns that were difficult to counterfeit using 19th-century reproduction technology.
The visual analysis identifies this note as 'SERIE K' (Series K), indicating this is from one of multiple documented series for the 1888 10 Centavos issue. The reference catalog notes 'at least eleven Greek and English series letters,' confirming multiple series varieties exist for Pick-211. The specific date imprinted on the note is 'BOGOTÁ, MARZO 18 DE 1888' (Bogotá, March 18, 1888), which may indicate a specific printing or authorization date. Collectors would want to track which series letter appears on their example, as series varieties could affect specialized collections, though no significant premium for particular series letters is evident from available eBay pricing data.
