The Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) informed the National Financial System, commerce and the general public that, as agreed by the Board of Directors of the institution, during the next few months it will begin putting in to circulation new banknotes printed on polymer substrate (a compound similar to plastic, but recyclable).
These are the same denominations that are currently in circulation in the national economy, that is, ₡ 20,000, ₡ 5,000 and ₡ 2,000 banknotes, once the financial entities complete the calibration of processing equipment, ATMs machines and other devices, necessary tasks in order to recognize the new banknotes. This stage is already in process.
Although the new banknotes have adjustments in their design and in their security measures structure to verify their authenticity and combat counterfeiting, they maintain the same characters, motifs, shades, and sizes as those currently in circulation. The polymer substrate gives the banknotes greater durability, makes them more secure, and allows for proper recycling of waste after it reaches its useful life.
As usual, once put into circulation, the new banknotes will coexist for a period with the current ones, which will maintain their value as a means of payment in the national economy, until the date that will be communicated in due course. The BCCR will inform in the coming weeks the detail of the security characteristics of these banknotes for easy recognition by the public and other interested national sectors.
