Costa Rica 5, 10, 25, and 50 Centavos (Tree) 1865 to 1875

The first question you must ask about a Costa Rican early centavo coin is if it has a wreath on the reverse, or a tree. Both patterns were used during this time period. In general, the tree coins are more valuable than the wreath coins.

This page applies to tree coins, as shown in the picture. For wreath coins, click to this CoinQuest link.

The coin in our picture comes from an eBay seller and is in nice condition for this series. It is a valuable coin.

Approximate catalog values for these coins run like this:

5 CENTAVOS (silver)
worn: $4
average circulated: $60
well preserved: $250
coins dated 1871 and 1872 are more rare and are worth about twice these values

10 CENTAVOS (silver)
worn: $5
average circulated: $35
well preserved: $150
coins dated 1868 and 1872 are quite rare, and are worth about five times the values shown

25 CENTAVOS (silver)
worn: $8
average circulated: $90
well preserved: $300
coins dated 1864 are more rare, and are worth about three times the values shown

50 CENTAVOS (silver)
worn: $10
average circulated: $180
well preserved: $800
coins dated 1867, 1870, and 1872 are very rare, and are worth four times the values shown

All the values above are inflated catalog values. Click to our Important Terminology page to learn how to convert these catalog values to actual buy and sell values.
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