Costa Rican Colón (CRC) Profile

Currency name
Currency code
Currency symbol

Subunit
1/100, céntimo
Coins freq used
₡5, ₡10, ₡25, ₡50, ₡100, ₡500
Coins rarely used
 
Banknotes freq used
₡1000, ₡2000, ₡5000, ₡10,000, ₡20,000, ₡50,000
Banknotes rarely used
 
Central bank
Central Bank of Costa Rica  (www.bccr.fi.cr)
Currency users
Currency notes

plural of colón is colones (Spanish) and colons (English)

Currency user list

Costa Rican colón users

The Costa Rican color is the currency of Costa Rica (officially Republic of Costa Rica) which is a country in Central America. Costa Rica declared independence from Spain in 1821 and then under the Mexican Empire from 1822-1823. In the year of 1823, Costa Rica became a part of a short-lived sovereign state named Federal Republic of Central America (existed from 1823 to 1840) which consisted of the present-day nations of Guatemala, EI Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico. Until 1848, Costa Rica became an independent republic country.

Costa Rican colón history

The Costa Rican colón was introduced in 1896 replacing the Costa Rican peso at par. The peso was the currency of Costa Rica between 1850 and 1896 which initially was worth and subdivided into 8 reals and later in 1864 it was decimalized and subdivided into 100 centavos.

Costa Rican colón coins and banknotes

The Costa Rican color is subdivided into 100 centimos but coins were issued using the name of centavo instead during the years of 1917 to 1919.

Currently in circulation coins are in the denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 colones, the banknotes are in denominations of 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 colones.

Costa Rican colón and the currency of peso

Peso was originally the name of Spanish dollar (also known as the piece of eight or the eight-real coin) which was issued by Spain and minted in the Spanish Empire. Hence, Peso was used or still being used by many nations which were the former Spanish colonies.

Countries that previously used peso (exchange rate as per:Feb.12th,2013)
Countries  Official country name Currency name Currency code Location- Continent 1 USD= Independence from Spain
Bolivia Plurinational State of Bolivia Bolivian boliviano BOB South America 6.90963 1.Declared, 6 August 1825
2.Recognized, 21 July 1847
3.Current constitution, 7 Feb.2009
Costa Rica Republic of Costa Rica Costa Rican colón CRC Central America 500.560 1.from Spain, Sep.15,1821
2.Recognizednby Spain, May 10,1850
3.Constitution, Nov.7,1949
Ecuador Republic of Ecuador United States dollar USD South America 1.000 1.Declared, Aug.10, 1809
2.from Spain, May 24,1822
3.Recognized, Feb.16,1830
Equatorial Guinea Republic of Equatorial Guinea Central African CFA franc XAF Africa 487.639 from spain, 12 Oct.1968
EI Salvador Republic of El Salvador United States dollar USD North America 1.000 1.from Spain, Sep.15,1821
2.Recognized by Spain, June 24,1865
3.from the Greater Republic of Central America, 1898
Guatemala Republic of Guatemala Guatemalan quetzal GTQ North America 7.8445 1.Declared, 15 Sep.1821
2.Restored, 1 July 1823
3.Current constitution, 31 May 1985
Guinea-Bissau Republic of Guinea-Bissau West African CFA franc XOF Africa 487.641 Independence from Portugal
1.Declared, 24 Sep.1973
2.Recognized, 10 Sep.1974
Honduras Republic of Honduras Honduran lempira HNL North America 19.920 1.Declared, 15 Sep.1821
2.Declared 5 Nov.1838 as Honduras
Nicaragua Republic of Nicaragua Nicaraguan córdoba NIO North America 24.285 1.Declared, 15 Sep.1821
2.Current constitution, 9 Jan.1987
Paraguay Republic of Paraguay Paraguayan guaraní PYG South America 4114.51 1.Declared, 14 May 1811
2.Recognized, 15 May 1811
Peru Republic of Peru Peruvian nuevo sol PEN South America 2.58399 1.Declared, July 28,1821
2.Recognized, 14 August 1879
3.Current constitution, 31 Dec.1993
Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Venezuelan bolívar VEF South America 4.300 1.from Spain, 5 July 1811
2.Recognized, 30 March 1845
3.Current Constitution, 20 Dec.1999
Spain Kingdom of Spain the Euro EUR Europe 1.34509 Current Constitutional democracy, 1978