Costa Rica ^[CR]

A major transitional coinage phase triggered by the economic reforms of the early 1980s. To combat rising production costs, the BCCR eliminated fractional centimos and downsized the core Colon denominations. This era marks the introduction of lightweight brass-plated and nickel-plated steel-core blanks, maintaining the national heraldry but optimizing thickness and diameters for modern commerce.

The contemporary circulating currency of Costa Rica, showcasing advanced minting security and metallurgy. High-value denominations feature heavy brass-plated components and the iconic bi-metallic 500 Colones coin, while low-value pocket change shifts to ultra-lightweight industrial aluminum blanks. Coins in this batch include tactile Braille-style identifier dots for the visually impaired.