Description and research notes
Official specimen of the 1997 25 Colones issue printed by De La Rue, catalogued as Pick 149as. Features red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint, oval control stamps, and circular perforation cancels.
Specimens like this were distributed to issuing authorities, printers, and security archives for reference. They showcase complete design elements and security devices such as microtext, latent imagery, and watermark alignment. The piece is graded PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, reflecting perfect color density and full original embossing.
These 1997 specimens mark the introduction of the post-die-proof finalized format and serve as the prototype for later 1998–1999 circulation issues.