2 colones 1949

Common. Market data indicates consistent availability at modest prices—eBay sales records show VF grades selling for $20-31 and a PMG 58 at $75, with catalog values at $6 (VF) and $35 (UNC). The note was issued in 1949 as a regular issue with substantial print runs, and many examples survive in circulated condition. The AU condition grade here suggests moderate scarcity within the grade, but the denomination and date are not noted in catalogs as having special restrictions or short-lived status that would elevate rarity.

This 1949 note was issued during a period when Costa Rica was consolidating its monetary authority under the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica, having established more stable currency practices following World War II. The prominent depiction of Joaquín Bernardo Calvo, a 19th-century Costa Rican statesman, reflects the nation's practice of honoring important figures in its political history. The reverse's emphasis on the Fountain of Plaza Principal underscores Costa Rica's civic pride and urban development during the mid-20th century.

This note features a sophisticated dual-design composition characteristic of high-security banknotes of the era. The obverse displays Joaquín Bernardo Calvo (1833-1910), a Costa Rican lawyer, diplomat, and political leader, rendered in a formal three-quarter portrait within an ornate oval medallion, surrounded by elaborate floral and scrollwork borders in pink/magenta on a cream background. Roman numeral II shields frame the denomination at left and right. The reverse presents an engraved landscape scene of the Pila (Fountain) of Plaza Principal in San José, the nation's capital, rendered in black, gray, and cream tones with fine architectural and botanical detail. Ornate scrollwork and geometric patterns frame all four sides of the note. The composition reflects the aesthetic conventions of American Bank Note Company printing for Central American clients during this period.

Front Side: BANCO NACIONAL DE COSTA RICA (National Bank of Costa Rica), DEPARTAMENTO EMISOR (Issuing Department), SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA, 7 de Diciembre de 1949 (7 December 1949), SERIE F (Series F), Serial Number: 1272974, ACUERDO DEL CONSEJO DIRECTIVO No 6 (Board of Directors Agreement No. 6), EL PRESIDENTE DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA GENERAL (President of the General Governing Board), DOS COLONES (Two Colones), JOAQUIN BERNARDO CALVO, AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY. Back Side: BANCO NACIONAL DE COSTA RICA (National Bank of Costa Rica), DEPARTAMENTO EMISOR (Issuing Department), II (Roman numeral two), PILA DE LA PLAZA PRINCIPAL DE SAN JOSÉ (Fountain of the Main Plaza of San José), DOS COLONES (Two Colones), AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY.

Intaglio engraving (copperplate) executed by the American Bank Note Company, New York. The visual analysis reveals characteristic features of this technique: fine line work, complex geometric and floral patterns serving as security elements, detailed cross-hatching and stippling throughout, and precise definition of portraiture and architectural elements. The multi-color printing on the obverse (pink/magenta with multicolor underprint) and single-color reverse printing are consistent with ABNC's established methods for the period.

This specific example is dated 7 de Diciembre de 1949 (7 December 1949) from Series F with serial number 1272974. The catalog notation 'P-203b' indicates this is variant 'b' within the P-203 classification. The note shows Board of Directors Agreement No. 6 notation. Later revalidations of this note type by Banco Central de Costa Rica are documented (see COSTA RICA P-235), but this specimen represents the original Banco Nacional de Costa Rica issue without overprints or subsequent revalidation marks.