The colón (plural: colones; sign: ₡; code: CRC) is the currency of Costa Rica.

The symbol is encoded at U+20A1 ₡ COLON SIGN[2] and may be typed on many English language Microsoft Windows keyboards using the keystrokes ALT+8353.

Nonetheless, the commonly available cent symbol '¢' is frequently used locally to designate the colón in price markings and advertisements.

The currency was subject to a crawling peg against the United States dollar from 2006 to 2015, but has been floating within a band allowed by the Costa Rican central bank since then.

In 1935, the International Bank of Costa Rica issued cupro-nickel coins in denominations of 25 and 50 centimos and 1 colón.

In 2009 the larger, silver-coloured ₡5, ₡10 & ₡20 were gradually withdrawn leaving the small, lighter, ₡5 and ₡10 and the gold-coloured ₡5, ₡10, ₡25, ₡50, ₡100 & ₡500 coins circulating.

In 2021, a smaller bimetallic ₡500 coin was introduced to commemorate the bicentennial of Costa Rican independence.

Some had Muestra sin Valor ("sample without value") printed on them in order to nullify the legal tender status and to prevent people from selling them.

The Banco Comercial de Costa Rica issued notes between 1906 and 1914 in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 colones.

The Banco Mercantil de Costa Rica issued notes between 1910 and 1916, also in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 colones.

The Banco Central de Costa Rica began issuing paper money in 1950, with notes for 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 colones.

Exceptions occurred with: Every issue also features the signatures, date, and the agreement number printed in black.

[5] The old notes are redeemable at the Central Bank of Costa Rica, but have been replaced with the newer models.

[6] A redesigned 50000-colón note was not included in the new series, but existing issues remain legal tender.

On October 16, 2006, however, this crawling peg was modified[7] due to weakness in the U.S. dollar and the perception that the colón was undervalued.

With the new system, sistema cambiario de bandas, the exchange rates posted by the Central Bank are a "reference" and each authorized financial institution can determine their value independently in hopes that the free market will provide a mechanism to keep them reasonable.

The exchange rate is now free to float within a currency band referenced to the United States dollar.

The former five hundred colones note was called "morado" (purple) because of its color, but it is no longer in circulation.