Numistify guide
Costa Rica’s New Coins: Every Design, Mintage and Collector Edition (2021–2026)
The Central Bank of Costa Rica is replacing all its coins with collectible series. Here are every design, the quantities the BCCR publishes, and the collector editions.
The short answer
The Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) is replacing its coins with a new series: a stainless steel ₡10 and collectible designs on the ₡25 (seven landmarks, one per province), ₡50 (six animals of the country’s ecosystems), ₡100 (six expressions of intangible cultural heritage) and the bimetallic ₡500 (four commemoratives and a common reverse). According to the BCCR, 25 million of each ₡50 design and 50 million of each ₡100 design are struck, and the series designs are also issued in limited collector editions.
Quantities are approximate. They are the figures the BCCR publishes per design or in total, not year-by-year mintage counts, and they can be revised.
The coins of the new series
Quantities and specifications as published by the BCCR. For the ₡50 and ₡100 the quantity is per design; for the ₡10, ₡25 and ₡500 it is the total for the denomination.
| Coin | Series | Designs | Quantity (BCCR) | Alloy | Weight | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₡10 | — | 1 | 300,000,000 | Stainless steel | 2.43 g | 20 mm |
| ₡25 | Lugares emblemáticos (landmarks) | 7 | 25,000,000 | Copper, zinc and nickel | 4.3 g | 22.5 mm |
| ₡50 | Fauna de los ecosistemas (ecosystem fauna) | 6 | 25,000,000 per design | Copper, zinc and nickel | 5.54 g | 24.5 mm |
| ₡100 | Patrimonio cultural inmaterial (intangible heritage) | 6 | 50,000,000 per design | Copper, zinc and nickel | 8.3 g | 26.5 mm |
| ₡500 | — | 5 | 75,000,000 | Bimetallic | 10.5 g | 28 mm |
The designs
₡25: landmarks of the provinces
Seven designs, one per province, issued from April 2025 (Playa Manzanillo) to May 2026 (Teatro Nacional). Each name links to its official BCCR page.
| Design | Province |
|---|---|
| Playa Manzanillo | Limón |
| El Faro | Puntarenas |
| Casona de Santa Rosa | Guanacaste |
| El Fortín | Heredia |
| Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles | Cartago |
| Volcán Arenal | Alajuela |
| Teatro Nacional | San José |
₡50: ecosystem fauna
Six animals, each from one of the country’s ecosystems, from November 2024; the last, the conejo de monte (forest rabbit), came out in November 2025: Mariposa morfo, Cangrejo marinera, Lagartija o anolis, Rana calzonuda, Tortuga carey, Conejo de monte.
₡100: intangible cultural heritage
Six expressions declared intangible cultural heritage, starting with swing criollo in July 2025: Swing criollo, Calipso limonense, Cerámica con motivos chorotegas, Boyeo y carreta, Cimarrona costarricense, Tope de toros liberiano.
₡500: bimetallic commemoratives
Five reverses on the new 28 mm bimetallic coin (copper-zinc-nickel ring, copper-nickel core), from 2021: 200 años de independencia, 175 años de la Fundación de la República, Abolición del ejército (75 años), 200 años de la Anexión del Partido de Nicoya, Reverso común.
Collector editions
The series designs are also issued in coloured collector versions, in an acrylic block or a case, sold through financial institutions with a limit per person. These are the editions whose quantities we confirmed in BCCR press releases:
| Coin | Design | On sale | Acrylic | Cased | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₡500 | 175 years of the Republic | Aug 2023 | — | — | 4,000 |
| ₡50 | Mariposa morfo | Nov 12, 2024 | 10,000 | 7,000 | 17,000 |
| ₡500 | Annexation of Nicoya (acrylic) | Feb 3, 2025 | 20,000 | — | 20,000 |
| ₡500 | Abolition of the army (acrylic) | Feb 3, 2025 | 20,000 | — | 20,000 |
| ₡25 | Playa Manzanillo | Apr 3, 2025 | 10,000 | 7,000 | 17,000 |
| ₡100 | Swing criollo | Jul 23, 2025 | 10,000 | 7,000 | 17,000 |
| ₡50 | Conejo de monte | Nov 26, 2025 | 10,000 | 7,000 | 17,000 |
| ₡25 | Teatro Nacional | May 20, 2026 | 10,000 | 7,000 | 17,000 |
The ₡25, ₡50 and ₡100 editions we checked all follow the same format of 10,000 in acrylic and 7,000 cased. For the other designs, see the BCCR press releases.
Coins that stopped being legal tender
Since July 1, 2026, the old-design ₡5, ₡10 and ₡25 coins are no longer legal tender; they can be exchanged or deposited at banks, cooperatives, mutuals and other financial institutions (BCCR release CP-BCCR-002-2026). The ₡5 has not been struck since 2020, so the new ₡10 becomes the smallest denomination. The old gold-coloured ₡50 and ₡500 stopped being legal tender on July 1, 2025 (BCCR release CP-BCCR-008-2025).
About these figures
Quantities and specifications are those the Central Bank of Costa Rica publishes on its Denominación de monedas page and in its press releases, consulted in October 2026. Images of the coins are on the linked BCCR pages: the Central Bank holds the copyright in the currency designs, and reproducing them requires its authorization.
Questions people ask
How many new ₡50 coins were minted?
According to the BCCR, 25 million of each of the six designs in the Fauna de los ecosistemas series: 150,000,000 in all.
How many new ₡100 coins are there?
Six designs in the Patrimonio cultural inmaterial series, 50 million each according to the BCCR: 300,000,000 in all.
Which Costa Rican coins stopped being legal tender?
The old-design ₡5, ₡10 and ₡25, from July 1, 2026, and the old gold-coloured ₡50 and ₡500, from July 1, 2025. They can be exchanged or deposited at financial institutions.
How many collector coins are issued of each design?
In the ₡25, ₡50 and ₡100 editions we checked, 10,000 in acrylic and 7,000 cased. The 2025 acrylic ₡500 editions were 20,000 per design.
Where can I buy the collector coins?
Through the financial institutions the BCCR allocates each edition to, such as banks, cooperatives and mutuals, with a limit per person: two in recent editions. The BCCR lists the institutions in each press release.
Are the new coins worth more than face value?
The circulating coins are worth their face value. The limited collector editions trade between collectors: compare sold prices for the same piece, or ask a coin dealer.
Related guides
Which Costa Rican coins are silver? — Costa Rica’s silver, from reales to 1924. How to store and protect coins — for keeping collector editions.
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