Costa Rica will introduce a new 500-colón on July 1, at which time the old coin of the same value will not be accepted for spending. If you have any of them rattling around from previous trips, they will have to be exchanged at a bank. The coin is worth about US$1, so you'll have to decide if it's worth it to brave CR's well-known horrendous bank lines to make the change.

The new coins are made of copper, nickel, and zinc, and are slightly smaller than the old ones.