Colombia Is Introducing New 5,000 and 2,000 Peso Bills into Circulation

Earlier this month, Colombia’s central bank put its new 5,000-peso bill into circulation, and it has now revealed that the 2,000 redesign will begin circulating on November 29. The new cinco mil, as the 5,000 is called in the country, is the latest release in the ongoing “new family” of currency that the Banco de la República has been introducing all year. The new 2,000 is historic in that it is only the second in the nation to ever feature a woman prominently on the face of the bill.

In addition to updating the design, one reason for the change is to combat counterfeiting and heighten security. The entire new family features strands of vibrant colors that change shades with movement, a watermark with 3D effect, raised images, micro-lettering of BRC (Banco de la República Colombia) stitched into the design, patterns that can only be seen in ultraviolet light, and tactile elements that differentiate the 5,000 bill from other denominations. Certain security aspects can also be read by machines dedicated to authenticating currency.

The central bank released a video (in Spanish) that breaks down the new design elements, security features, and other facets of the new 5,000 bill, which will continue to feature the likeness of Bogotá-born poet José Asunción Silva.

After putting the redesigned 5,000-peso bill into circulation, Colombia’s central bank now turns to the revamped 2,000 that will feature the likeness of famed painter Débora Arango. On the back is Caño Cristales, the so-called River of Five Colors that has become an emblematic symbol of the nation’s natural beauty in recent years.

Arango is replacing Francisco de Paula Santander, a legendary military leader during the days of independence. While she is the first woman to appear on the dos mil, the 10,000 note already includes the image of Policarpa Salavarrieta, who helped in defeating the Spanish. And she wasn’t technically the first woman either.

Salavarrieta replaced an unnamed indigenous woman of the Embera community on the 10,000 bill in 1994. Now, after a 22-year-run, she will herself be replaced, by social scientist Virginia Gutiérrez, another woman, when the 10,000 gets its makeover in the near future.

The 2,000 remains one of the most heavily used bills despite the peso plunging in value in the past two years. In early 2014, the note was worth more than $1 USD. But now it is down under $0.66 as the price of oil has plummeted and taken the peso along for the ride.

The previously revamped bills have been released on the following dates so far this year:

March 31
100,000

June 30
20,000

August 19
50,000

November 9
5,000