Thequetzal (locally[keˈtsal];code:GTQ) is thecurrency ofGuatemala, named after thenational bird of Guatemala, theresplendent quetzal. In ancientMayan culture, the quetzal bird's tail feathers were used as currency. It is divided into 100centavos, orlen (plurallenes) in Guatemalanslang. The plural isquetzales.
| quetzal guatemalteco (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| ISO 4217 | |
| Code | GTQ (numeric:320) |
| Subunit | 0.01 |
| Unit | |
| Plural | quetzales |
| Symbol | Q |
| Denominations | |
| Subunit | |
| 1⁄100 | centavo |
| Banknotes | 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 quetzales |
| Coins | 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos, 1 quetzal |
| Demographics | |
| Date of introduction | 1925 |
| Replaced | Guatemalan peso |
| User(s) |  Guatemala |
| Issuance | |
| Central bank | Bank of Guatemala |
| Website | www |
| Printer | Polish Security Printing Works [pl] |
| Website | Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych |
| Valuation | |
| Inflation | 6.2% |
| Source | Link |
History
editThe quetzal was introduced in 1925 during the term of PresidentJosé María Orellana, whose image appears on the obverse of the one-quetzal bill. It replaced theGuatemalan peso at the rate of 60 pesos = 1 quetzal.[1] Until 1987, the quetzal was pegged to and domestically equal to theUnited States dollar. The currency was named after the country's famous bird, theQuetzal, which is also on theFlag of Guatemala.
Coins
edit
In 1925,coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10 centavos,1⁄4,1⁄2 and 1 quetzal were introduced, although the majority of the 1 quetzal coins were withdrawn from circulation and melted.1⁄2 and 2 centavo coins were added in 1932. Until 1965, coins of 5 centavos and above were minted in 72% silver.1⁄2 and 1 quetzal coins were reintroduced in 1998 and 1999, respectively.
The coins currently in circulation are disc-shaped and include Guatemala'snational coat of arms on the obverse.[2] The coins, and their reverse designs are:
- 5 centavos: thetree of liberty and the motto "LIBRE CREZCA FECUNDO (Grow free and fecund)"[2]
- 10 centavos: a monolith fromQuiriguá[2]
- 25 centavos: an indigenous woman,[2]Concepción Ramírez[3]
- 50 centavos:Monja Blanca, the national flower[2]
- 1 quetzal: a stylizeddove, the word "Paz (Peace)", and the date “29 de Diciembre de 1996 (29 December 1996)”[2]
Banknotes
editThe first banknotes were issued by theCentral Bank of Guatemala in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 100 quetzales, with1⁄2 quetzal notes added in 1933. In 1946, the Bank of Guatemala took over the issuance ofpaper money, with the first issues being overprints on notes of the Central Bank. Except for the introduction of 50 quetzal notes in 1967, the denominations of banknotes remained unchanged until1⁄2 and 1 quetzal coins replaced notes at the end of the 1990s.
In the top-right corner of the obverse face of each banknote, the value is displayed inMayan numerals, representing Guatemala's cultural history.
| Image | Value | Main Color | Description | Remark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obverse | Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | |||
 | Q0.50 | Brown | Tecún Umán, Prince and Commander-and-Chief of the Quiche Realm during the Spanish Conquest. | Tikal'sTemple I | No longer in circulation | |
| | Q1 | Green | José María Orellana, President of Guatemala during the Currency Reform that introduced the Quetzal as the official currency. | Main building of theCentral Bank of Guatemala | Reintroduced as apolymer banknote on August 20, 2007. A Commemorative paper note was introduced in 2024 to celebrate 100 years of the quetzal. | |
 | Q5 | Violet | Justo Rufino Barrios, Co-Leader of the Liberal Revolution of 1871. | Education allegory | Changed to apolymer banknote on November 14, 2011[5] Subsequently reintroduced on a cotton paper substrate. | |
 | Q10 | Red | Miguel García Granados, Deputy and Main Leader of the Liberal Revolution of 1871. | Picture from theGuatemalan National Assembly of 1872 | ||
 | Q20 | Blue | Mariano Gálvez, State Leader of the State of Guatemala, within the United Provinces of Central America. | Signing of the declaration ofCentral American independence | ||
 | Q50 | Orange | Carlos O. Zachrisson [es], finance minister from 1923 to 1926 | Allegory of the importance of coffee to the country | ||
 | Q100 | Sepia | Francisco Marroquín, First Bishop of the Realm of Guatemala, and Founder of theUniversidad de San Carlos de Guatemala | First university building inAntigua Guatemala | ||
 | Q200 | Aqua | Sebastian Hurtado,Mariano Valverde [es],German Alcántara [es]. Threemarimba composers. | Allegory of themarimba, the national instrument, Musical score ofLa Flor del Café by Alcántara. | A new version of the Q200 note was introduced in 2022 and features a SPARK security patch. | |
| For table standards, see thebanknote specification table. | ||||||
The Bank of Guatemala has introduced apolymer banknote of 1 quetzal on August 20, 2007, followed by a 5 quetzal polymer banknote on November 14, 2011. Both the 1 and 5 quetzal notes are once again on a paper substrate as of 2024.
Exchange rate
edit| Current GTQ exchange rates | |
|---|---|
| FromGoogle Finance: | AUDCADCHFCNYEURGBPHKDJPYUSDEURJPYUSD |
| FromYahoo! Finance: | AUDCADCHFCNYEURGBPHKDJPYUSDEURJPYUSD |
| FromXE.com: | AUDCADCHFCNYEURGBPHKDJPYUSDEURJPYUSD |
| From OANDA: | AUDCADCHFCNYEURGBPHKDJPYUSDEURJPYUSD |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Banco de Guatemala".
- ^abcdefgbanguat.gob.gtArchived 2007-06-07 at theWayback Machine
- ^"The woman on the 25-cent coin and other voices from Guatemala's genocide".EntreMundos. 2017-08-23. Retrieved2020-01-05.
- ^"banguat.gob.gt". Archived fromthe original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved2015-02-14.
- ^"banguat.gob.gt". Archived fromthe original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved2011-11-15.
External links
edit- Banco de Guatemala(in Spanish)
- Images of Guatemalan coinsArchived 2018-08-14 at theWayback Machine from the Banco de Guatemala page
- Banco de Guatemala currency in circulationArchived 2015-10-01 at theWayback Machine
- The banknotes of Guatemala(in English, German, and French)
