Costa Rica 1923/1890 50 centimos
This specimen was lot 75278 in Stack's Bowers June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2026), where it sold for $129. The catalog description[1] noted, "COSTA RICA. Costa Rica - Costa Rica. 50 Centimos, 1923. San Jose Mint. PCGS MS-63; Countermark: UNC Details. Countermark applied to a 1890-HEATON 25 Centavos (KM-130). Issued by decree of 10 July 1923." This type was counterstamped in Costa Rica in 1923 to double the value of the host coin, in this case a 1890-H 25 centavos. Many fifty centavos were similarly counterstamped and raised to one colon coins. Costa Rica officially switched from the peso to the colon in 1897, which currency was reformed again in 1917 and 1920.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.3 g, 0.750 fine silver, .151 troy oz ASW, 25 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-159.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Gurdian, Raul, Contribucion al Estudio de las Monedas de Costa Rica: 100 Años de Colon, 2a Ed., San José, Costa Rica, 1997.
- Stickney, Brian, A Monetary History of Central America, New York: American Numismatic Society, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, June 2026 World Premier Collectors Choice Auction - Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, the Richard Margolis Collection and the Kirk Menczer Collection of Republican Reales Minors, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2026.
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