January 2025 Country of the Month Costa Rica

Coinlover101

This could be a bit of fun for the year ahead.
I used a random country generator to select the January Country of the Month.

The idea is that you buy a coin from the selected country , contribute to the discussion and perhaps post up some older purchases.

Here is my latest purchase, I know it's not January yet, a Costa Rica 2 Colones from 1900 graded MS64 by our hosts. The mintage figure is 45,000 so the coin is relatively scarce but it seems to me that these coins are somewhat relatively available in good grades AU/MS.

I note that Eliasberg had an NGC MS65 example.

So go hunting, have fun, discuss and show us your Costa Rican coins!!

History of Costa Rican coinage

https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/3102-history-of-costa-rican-coinage/

scubafuel

Good idea! Here is a 1 escudo from Costa Rica dated 1851. This type was minted in 1/2,1,2 and half Onza denominations. They are usually struck with weakness and finding a well detailed piece is a challenge.

WillieBoyd2

This Costa Rica coin was a Coinstar find on August 2, 2020:

Costa Rica 100 Colones 2007
Brass, 29 mm, 8.94 gm

Euclid

scubafuel

@Euclid nice denomination set!

Coinlover101

Some Costa Rican rarities courtesy of the Eliasberg World Gold auction catalogue.

MrEureka

1849 4 Escudos struck in silver.

coinkat

I like the idea… Even if I have nothing to share at the moment

Coinlover101

Is there anyone else that would like to share their coin(s) from Costa Rica or does anyone have any interesting information about these coins?

BSmith

Here's a pair of reales 1847 & 1849.

Coinlover101

@BSmith said:
Here's a pair of reales 1847 & 1849.

They look cool. Are they rare?

BSmith

@Coinlover101 said:

@BSmith said:
Here's a pair of reales 1847 & 1849.

>

They look cool. Are they rare?

I don't know much about them but the Numista rarity rating said the 1849 was a 73 out of 100 & the 1847 was a 85.

genosse

@BSmith said:
Here's a pair of reales 1847 & 1849.

Let me tell you about your coin.
Excuse my English, I am translating with Google Translate
On June 7, 1846, a coup d'état took place in Costa Rica. To give the coup legitimacy, a new Constitution was drafted in 1847. To celebrate the "Reforms of 1846" (as the coup was called) and the new Constitution, a decree was issued on February 10, 1847 to mint a proclamation medal. The medal had a face value of 1 real and was legal tender.
The obverse of the coin depicts a young Indian woman, and around the circle is the legend C(osta) R(ica) A la Constit(uci)ón de 21 de E(ner)o de 1847 (Costa Rica to the Constitution of January 21, 1847). On the reverse side is a coffee tree, the denomination of 1 r(eal) and the legend around the circle: Reformas Proclamadas el 7 de J(unio) de 1846 (Reforms proclaimed on June 7, 1846).
The exact number of proclamation coins minted is unknown. However, it is known that 2,200 pieces were to be scattered among the people by priests on March 7, 1847, during the celebration of the "Reform" and the adoption of the Constitution in the capital of San José and four departments of the country (Cartago, Heredia, Alajuela and Guanacaste).

genosse

The coins of 1847, as well as similarly designed issues of 1849 and 1850, were popularly nicknamed mariquitas (ladybugs). Despite the fact that in the Minting Decree itself the girl is called an Indian (joven india), her image is similar to European artistic images, namely:
in many sources, the position of the hands and the shape of the cape of the Indian girl are compared to the image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms, as a symbol of the birth of the Republic. Although the characteristic pose, with a hand lying on the heart, is very similar to the popular image of the Virgin Mary grieving alone in Spanish Catholic painting.

But in my opinion, poorly covered nudity is more consistent with the penitent Mary Magdalene.

An interesting version was in the book "Guía ilustrada de medallas de Costa Rica", where an Indian girl was compared to the heroine of Raphael's painting "La Fornarina" of 1516, in which the way the fabric is held between the index and middle fingers of the right hand, the hair style and other features are similar to those depicted on the coin.

No less interesting is the image of a coffee tree on these coins. For a long time, the basis of Costa Rica's economy was the export of tobacco. A tobacco bush is depicted on the ½ real coin of 1842 (the coin shown is not mine).

But since the mid-1840s, coffee has become Costa Rica's main export commodity, which is reflected on the coin.

BSmith

@genosse said:
The coins of 1847, as well as similarly designed issues of 1849 and 1850, were popularly nicknamed mariquitas (ladybugs). Despite the fact that in the Minting Decree itself the girl is called an Indian (joven india), her image is similar to European artistic images, namely:
in many sources, the position of the hands and the shape of the cape of the Indian girl are compared to the image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms, as a symbol of the birth of the Republic. Although the characteristic pose, with a hand lying on the heart, is very similar to the popular image of the Virgin Mary grieving alone in Spanish Catholic painting.

But in my opinion, poorly covered nudity is more consistent with the penitent Mary Magdalene.

An interesting version was in the book "Guía ilustrada de medallas de Costa Rica", where an Indian girl was compared to the heroine of Raphael's painting "La Fornarina" of 1516, in which the way the fabric is held between the index and middle fingers of the right hand, the hair style and other features are similar to those depicted on the coin.

No less interesting is the image of a coffee tree on these coins. For a long time, the basis of Costa Rica's economy was the export of tobacco. A tobacco bush is depicted on the ½ real coin of 1842 (the coin shown is not mine).

But since the mid-1840s, coffee has become Costa Rica's main export commodity, which is reflected on the coin.

Thanks for the information, it's very interesting.

MrEureka

@BSmith said:

@genosse said:
The coins of 1847, as well as similarly designed issues of 1849 and 1850, were popularly nicknamed mariquitas (ladybugs).

FWIW, I would not assume that a dealer knows this nickname for the coin when asking him for the price of one in his showcase. At least not if he's there with his wife or daughter.

MrEureka

Here's a pic of one I found on my computer. Not my coin, although I do have some of these.

genosse

@MrEureka said:
FWIW, I would not assume that a dealer knows this nickname for the coin when asking him for the price of one in his showcase. At least not if he's there with his wife or daughter.

I think Costa Rica really loved Italian Renaissance painting)))))
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa on the 2 colon banknote.

MrEureka

Another mariquita. This an 1850 in NGC 65.

Coinlover101

@MrEureka said:
Another mariquita. This an 1850 in NGC 65.

Unfortunately they are not cheap in this grade.