Costa Rica is paying tribute to one of its most distinctive musical traditions with a new ₡100 coin celebrating Limón calypso, a genre deeply rooted in the history and cultural identity of the country’s Afro-Caribbean communities. The Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) announced the release as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage collection, an initiative designed to recognize and promote the traditions that shape Costa Rican identity.
Collector’s editions of the coin will be available to the public starting November 5, 2026, at a price of ₡8,400 each. Buyers will be able to choose between a presentation case and an acrylic display. The coin is the second release in a series of six designs announced by the Central Bank in July 2025. The collection debuted with a coin dedicated to Creole swing and will continue highlighting other cultural expressions from across the country.
Limón calypso is more than a musical genre. Through its distinctive rhythms and storytelling, it has helped preserve the experiences, traditions, and cultural identity of Afro-descendant communities along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. During the design process, the Central Bank’s Board of Directors reviewed references to two prominent figures associated with the development and promotion of the genre: Walter Ferguson Byfield, one of its most influential exponents, and Donald Raymond “Danny” Williams Shirley, a singer, percussionist, and promoter of calypso music.
Through this new release, the Central Bank hopes to introduce more Costa Ricans to this musical tradition and expand its recognition beyond the communities where it originated. The Intangible Cultural Heritage collection features six ₡100 coins, each dedicated to a different expression of Costa Rica’s cultural heritage.
In addition to Creole swing and Limón calypso, the series celebrates Chorotega ceramic craftsmanship, traditional oxherding and the Costa Rican oxcart, cimarrona music, and the *tope de toros* tradition in Liberia, Guanacaste. The Cultural Heritage Directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Youth selected the cultural expressions featured in the collection, while the Central Bank was responsible for developing and issuing the coins.
The coins also incorporate design and security features introduced as part of the redesign of Costa Rica’s national currency. Their obverse bears the inscriptions “Republic of Costa Rica” and “Central Bank of Costa Rica,” along with four raised bars that allow people to identify them by touch.
The collection includes coins intended for regular circulation, with a face value of ₡100, as well as special collector’s editions sold in commemorative packaging. The first collector’s coin, dedicated to Creole swing, was released in July 2025 at a price of ₡9,000. The new Limón calypso edition will cost ₡8,400, offering collectors another opportunity to celebrate Costa Rica’s cultural heritage through its currency.
