In this blog we focus on Honduras which declared its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. After the declaration there we opposing forces for unity in the region. Mexico wanted all of Central America to be part of the Mexican Empire. Honduras led another faction that wanted a unified Central America separate from Mexico. Like the other countries, the next few decades were marred with civil unrest and regional conflict. In 1880 the capital moved to Tegucigalpa. As a child this was such a great name of a capital. It was right up there with Tenochtitlan, the name of old Mexico City.
Source: Fandom
History Of Banknotes in Honduras
Like other countries, Honduras enabled commercial banks to issue banknotes in the late 1800’s. These banknotes had similar design themes and even colors with the Guatemala banknotes. The 1922 50 Centavo (P-28), printed by Waterlow & Sons is a great example of the design in previous use. The portrait of a bull has exceptional detail. There is also an engraved mission church in the center. There is also several colored line structures in use. The back is monochromatic red, but has engaging guilloche patterns and security lines.
Source: Banknote World Educational
The Lempira was introduced in 1931 but, the Central Bank of Honduras was not founded until 1950. Most of the banknotes for the next 50 years were relatively basic in design using few colors or interesting themes. They did begin showcasing its Mayan history and culture which did add some uniqueness.
Source: Banknote World
In 2008, the Central Bank experimented with polymer substrate by issuing a 20 Lempira note. This banknote was a significant departure in design. Of course it had a window, but the design was cleaner and more modern. The newer 50, 100 and 200 Lempira maintained that new cleaner design.
A bit of trivia, Honduras, known for its export of bananas was inspiration for the author O. Henry who coined the term “banana republic” for a fictional country he based on his experiences in Honduras.
