The Bank of the Republic
Fifty Pesos Gold, 1964 (Bolívar) and 1985 (Camilo Torres)
Two decades separate these specimens of the same denomination —Cincuenta Pesos Oro—, each with its own commemorative portrait, color palette and overprinting convention: “SPECIMEN” in red on the classic 1964 design, and the legend castellana “VALUELESS SAMPLE” on the renovated 1985 design.
Specimen clásico de mediados de los años 1960, con el portrait of Libertador Simón Bolívar y la overprint en inglés “SPECIMEN” propia de la producción de American Bank Note Company para la banca centralizada colombiana de la época.
Specimen de la serie renovada de los años 1980, con el portrait of Camilo Torres y orquídeas colombianas en el reverse. La overprint castellana “MUESTRA SIN VALOR” refleja la nacionalización editorial de la moneda colombiana en esta etapa tardía del siglo XX.
Obverse (top) and reverse (bottom) — Notofilia.com Collection
From “Specimen” to “Sample Without Value”
1964:the classic Fifty Pesos Oro design retains the overprint in English “SPECIMEN”, numbering in zeros (00000) and signatures of Manager and Secretary canceled by perforations, following the practice of the American Bank Note Company of the mid-century.
1985:The subsequent redesign incorporates Colombian orchids on the reverse and the Castilian overprint “VALUELESS SAMPLE”, reflecting both the editorial nationalization of the Colombian currency and the introduction of new cultural iconography —national flora alongside the heroes— on the paper currency of the Republic.
Simón Bolívar and Camilo Torres
The 1964 specimen takes up the portrait of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, present in numerous Colombian broadcasts of the 20th century. The one from 1985 instead honors Camilo Torres Tenorio (1766–1816), priest, jurist and hero from New Granada, author of the famous “Memorial de Agravios” of 1809, shot by the Spanish authorities during the Reconquista —a different background from the 20th century guerrilla priest of the same name with whom he is often confused.
Sources
- Pick, Albert.Standard Catalog of World Paper Money.
- Hernández, Pedro Pablo.Coins and Banknotes of Colombia.
- Restrepo, Jorge Emilio.Coins of Colombia.
- Heritage Auctions —ha.com(opens in a new tab)
- Numista —numista.com(opens in a new tab)
- Bank of the Republic —banrep.gov.co(opens in a new tab)