500 colon coin

In 2024, Costa Rica commemorated the bicentennial of the Annexation of the Partido de Nicoya colonial administration to Costa Rica, a historic milestone in which the inhabitants of Nicoya and Santa Cruz voluntarily decided to join the country, under the motto “De la patria por nuestra voluntad” [Part of the Homeland by Our Will]. This event expanded the national territory while enriching Costa Rican culture, astronomy, and traditions, thus becoming a fundamental element of the national identity.  

The event: On July 25, 1824, during an open town council, the inhabitants of the then Partido de Nicoya colonial administration formally decided to join Costa Rica.

Image: The coin depicts the voluntary union of the Partido de Nicoya administration with Costa Rica. The design includes human figures holding hands, which represent brotherhood, integration, and agreement between today’s Guanacaste province and the rest of the country.  

• Territory of the Partido de Nicoya: It is represented alongside the outline of Guanacaste Province, which stresses the geographical importance of the union.
• Guanacaste Tree:  A national symbol evoking the identity and the natural heritage of the region.
• Female figure: The woman wears the region’s traditional attire, representing Guanacaste’s culture, folklore, and traditions.
• Seal of the Indigenous Peoples: An element that recognizes the indigenous heritage of Costa Rica’s North Pacific region.
• Commemorative Inscriptions: The coin includes the phrase, “200 años de la Anexión del Partido de Nicoya 1824-2024” [200 years of the Annexation of the Partido de Nicoya administration] and the motto “De la patria por nuestra voluntad” [Part of the Homeland by Our Will].