A rare and historically valuable Bill of Exchange dated December 31st, 1881, issued in San Jose de Costa Rica for the amount of £100 Sterling, payable to the order of Steinworth & Co. This bill represents one of the early documented financial links between Central America and the British financial system, routed through Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Upper Clapton, London.
The name Steinworth is particularly notable in Costa Rican history. The Steinworth family was among the pioneering German merchant families that contributed significantly to Costa Rica’s commercial development in the 19th century. They were active in coffee exports, railway financing, and transit trade through the Isthmus, which made them integral to the country’s economic modernization.
This document not only reflects a private commercial transaction, but also embodies broader geopolitical and trade ties between Panama, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom during the high era of imperial commerce.
Printed by Star and Herald, Panama, and bearing a large red "2" stamp, the piece features the handwritten signature of F.C. Lehmann, likely a regional commercial agent. A superb example of Caribbean and Central American financial ephemera, very rarely encountered.
