20 cordobas 1979 specimen

Common. Specimen notes from major currency printings are produced in reasonable quantities for distribution to banks and institutions, and the eBay market data shows consistent availability with prices typically ranging from $2.95 to $9.00 USD for uncirculated examples, with only occasional outlier prices. The 1979 20 cordobas is not known to be from a short print run or recalled issue, and specimen examples remain readily obtainable in the collector market.

Issued in 1979 during the height of the Nicaraguan Revolution, this note commemorates the Sandinista triumph and features Comandante Germán Pomares Ordóñez, a prominent revolutionary leader. The reverse depicts Sandinista soldiers in a military assembly, reflecting the revolutionary period's emphasis on military imagery and the consolidation of power. The 1979 date marks the early currency reform of the new revolutionary government, making these specimen notes historically significant records of the transitional period.

The obverse features a three-quarter portrait of Comandante Germán Pomares Ordóñez wearing a characteristic wide-brimmed hat, positioned on the right side of the note. The portrait is surrounded by ornamental decorative scrollwork and heraldic designs at the top center, with large corner denominations in all four corners and a circular medallion containing '20' and 'VEINTE CORDOBAS' in the center-lower area. The reverse depicts a complex historical illustration of a Sandinista military assembly or gathering with numerous armed soldiers, with a castle or fortified structure visible in the background—likely representing a revolutionary military moment. Both sides employ the same color scheme of reddish-brown, cream, tan, and green accents, unified by fine line engraving patterns and guilloche work throughout.

Front side: 'Banco Central de Nicaragua' (Central Bank of Nicaragua); '20' and 'VEINTE CORDOBAS' (Twenty Cordobas); 'SERIE E' (Series E); 'MUESTRA' (Specimen); 'COMERCIAL' (Commercial); 'Comandante Germán Pomares Ordóñez'; 'MINISTRO DE FINANZAS DE LA REPÚBLICA' (Minister of Finance of the Republic); 'PRESIDENTE DEL BANCO CENTRAL DE NICARAGUA' (President of the Central Bank of Nicaragua); 'GERENTE DEL BANCO' (Manager of the Bank); 'THOMAS DE LA RUE AND COMPANY LIMITED' (printer attribution). Back side: 'Banco Central de Nicaragua' (Central Bank of Nicaragua); '20' and 'VEINTE CORDOBAS' (Twenty Cordobas); 'MUESTRA' (Specimen); 'COMERCIAL' (Commercial).

This note was produced using lithographic printing combined with fine line engraving techniques, as evidenced by the detailed guilloche patterns, intricate scrollwork, and the complex historical scene illustration. The printer Thomas de la Rue and Company Limited (TDLR), London, employed their standard high-security intaglio and lithographic process. The fine detail visible in the portrait, decorative elements, and military assembly scene reflects the precision of late-20th-century British security printing standards.

This is cataloged as Pick 135s, the 's' suffix denoting this as a specimen note. The visual analysis confirms the 'MUESTRA' (specimen) red overprint and 'COMERCIAL' designation visible on both obverse and reverse. The note is identified as 'SERIE E' (Series E), indicating this variety belongs to the E series printing. Handwritten signatures are visible on the obverse, consistent with specimen note preparation procedures of the era. No other major varieties are apparent from the observed details, though signature varieties may exist among different specimen printings.