Honduras P-98a 5 Lempiras 2012 UNC—Morazán, Hero of El Salvador & Costa Rica too

A note honoring Honduras's greatest military and political hero — the man who fought to keep Central America united, and whose decisive victory at Trinidad is depicted on the reverse.

Front

• Colors: purple/violet dominant on multicolor underprint
• Portrait: Francisco Morazán (1792–1842), President of the Federal Republic of Central America and national hero of Honduras, facing left
• Coat of arms: Coat of arms of Honduras
• Text: REPÚBLICA DE HONDURAS, LIBRE, SOBERANA E INDEPENDIENTE / 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE 1821 / BANCO CENTRAL DE HONDURAS / CINCO LEMPIRAS / MORAZÁN
• Signatures: María Elena Mondragón (President) / Héctor Méndez Cálix (Manager) / Wilfredo Cerrato R. (Finance Secretary) — P-98a, dated 1 March 2012

Back

• Colors: purple/violet tones; multicolor
• Central scene: Battle of Trinidad, November 11, 1827, in decorative border
• Text: BANCO CENTRAL DE HONDURAS / BATALLA DE LA TRINIDAD / NOVIEMBRE 11 DE 1827 / CINCO LEMPIRAS
• Printer imprint: OBERTHUR FIDUCIAIRE

Other Characteristics

• Varieties: you may receive any variety: P-98a (2012) — this note; P-98b (2014); P-98c (2016); TBB# B346d (2019); TBB# B346e (2022); TBB# B346f (2024)
• Catalog numbers: P-98a; TBB# B346a; Numista N#204898
• Composition: Paper
• Size: 156 × 67 mm
• Issuing entity: Central Bank of Honduras (Banco Central de Honduras)
• Printer: Oberthur Fiduciaire (FCO), France (1984–date)
• Currency: Honduran Lempira (1931–date)

Francisco Morazán: The Liberator Who Dreamed Too Big

Francisco Morazán (1792–1842) was the most important political and military figure in 19th-century Central America. Born in Tegucigalpa, he rose from a self-educated clerk to become President of the Federal Republic of Central America — a liberal visionary who championed freedom of religion, abolished the death penalty, and fought to keep the five Central American nations united against conservative and clerical opposition. He was ultimately overthrown, exiled, and executed by firing squad in Costa Rica in 1842. He was 49 years old. Today he is revered as a national hero in Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica alike — a rare distinction for any historical figure.

The Battle of Trinidad

The Battle of Trinidad on November 11, 1827 was Morazán's breakthrough moment. Outnumbered and outgunned, he led his liberal forces to a decisive victory over the conservative army of Central America near the town of Trinidad in Honduras — a victory that launched his meteoric rise to the presidency of the entire federation. The battle is depicted on this note in the style of 19th-century military engravings, framed in the decorative border typical of Oberthur's classical banknote design.

Own this note and you hold Central America's great liberal dream in your hands — a self-made general, a decisive battle, and the man who almost kept five nations as one.

About Honduras

• Origin of name: Spanish for "depths" — Christopher Columbus reportedly exclaimed "Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas honduras" after navigating treacherous waters off the northern coast in 1502
• Capital: Tegucigalpa (city pop. ~1.4 million; metro ~1.9 million)
  • Origin of name of Tegucigalpa: From Nahuatl, variously interpreted as "silver hills" or "place of painted rocks" — a nod to the region's mineral wealth
• Population: ~10.6 million (UN 2024) — comparable to Michigan or Georgia
• Area: 112,492 km² / 43,433 mi² — slightly larger than Tennessee
• GDP per capita (PPP): ~$6,800 (IMF 2024)
• Main exports: coffee (#1 export), bananas, palm oil, shrimp, textiles/apparel (maquiladoras)
• Borders: Guatemala (west), El Salvador (southwest), Nicaragua (east/southeast), Caribbean Sea (north), Pacific Ocean (south, Gulf of Fonseca)
• Official/spoken languages: Spanish (official); indigenous languages including Lenca, Garifuna, and Miskito
• Ethnicities: Mestizo (~90%), Indigenous (~7%), Garifuna (~2%), Afro-Honduran (~1%)
• Memberships: United Nations (1945); OAS; SICA; WTO; CAFTA-DR free trade agreement with US
• Sovereignty: Independent from Spain 15 September 1821; fully independent republic 1838 after dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America

Honduras Unfiltered

• Morazán: hero of three nations: Francisco Morazán is a national hero in Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica simultaneously — one of the very few historical figures honored by multiple countries as a founding father.
• The Soccer War: In 1969, Honduras and El Salvador fought a four-day war triggered by a World Cup qualifying match — though the underlying cause was land disputes and migration tensions.
• Maya heartland: The ancient Copán ruins in western Honduras are one of the most important Maya archaeological sites in the world, renowned for their extraordinary sculptural detail and hieroglyphic stairway.
• Banana republic — literally: The term "banana republic" was coined partly with Honduras in mind, where United Fruit Company once controlled vast swaths of land, infrastructure, and political influence.
• Coffee powerhouse: Honduras is the largest coffee exporter in Central America and among the top 10 globally, with high-altitude growing regions producing specialty beans increasingly sought by third-wave roasters.