10 La Palma, Fusagasugá

During the armed conflict known as the War of the Thousand Days, don José María, an entrepreneur and landowner from La Palma, resorted to the issuance of his own currency as a practical solution to sustain the operation of his agricultural enterprise. This measure enabled him to meet the obligations arising from the hiring of workers, particularly those engaged in the periodic tasks of cultivation, as well as to cover the multiple activities required for the care of the coffee plantations, the processing of the beans, and their preparation for commercial distribution. Likewise, these emissions facilitated the fulfillment of the technical and material requirements associated with the maintenance of the infrastructure and productive equipment, within a context marked by a shortage of circulating currency and significant economic constraints.

The coins issued by don José María circulated effectively at the local level, allowing workers to acquire basic goods in previously agreed-upon commercial establishments. This system operated as a practical response to the lack of cash and was sustained by relationships of trust among the employer, workers, and suppliers. No documented conflicts arising from its use have been recorded, although precise information regarding its technical characteristics and the exact period of circulation remains unknown. The experience came to an end once economic conditions stabilized and, subsequently, in 1910, national legislation expressly prohibited any form of payment other than official currency, reaffirming the right of workers to receive their wages in circulating money backed by the State.