Q COSTARICA — On Tuesday, July 1st, the old ¢500 and ¢50 coins officially stopped being valid for payments, just like the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) had announced.
Those old coins now need to be swapped or deposited at banks and other financial institutions, as they’re being replaced by a new, smaller bimetallic coin.
The BCCR made it clear that the new ¢500 and ¢50 coins are good for any purchase across the country, no matter what’s on the back, and it’s still worth their face value.
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The Central Bank is handling both the rollout of the new coins and the removal of the old ones through the country’s financial system.
Why the change?
The BCCR explained that swapping out the coins is part of a bigger plan to boost the security and efficiency of the currency.
Here’s what they focused on:
- Making coins smaller and lighter, so they’re easier to carry around.
- Using better metals—copper-based alloys mixed with others—to make the coins tougher against corrosion and easier for machines to recognize.
- Adding alternating metallic colors to help tell coins apart quickly: ¢10 is silver; ¢25 gold; ¢50 silver; ¢100 gold; and ¢500 a silver-and-gold combo.
- Updating the design to celebrate Costa Rica’s culture and history, with the front showing the coin’s value and the back featuring a special commemorative image.
- Improving security with advanced alloys and detailed engraving that balance art and anti-counterfeiting features.
Transparency Note: This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence tools to process available information. The content is based on verifiable sources and has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity.
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