Carlos O. Zachrisson

Bachelor Carlos O. Zachrisson (1879-1956)

The official currency of Guatemala is called a Quetzal, named after the nation's beautiful national bird, the green and red resplendent Quetzal, which is in danger of becoming extinct from habitat loss. The ancient Mayans who populated the region of present-day Guatamala used the birdโ€™s feathers as money.

Carlos O. Zachrisson features on the 50 quetzal note. Carlos O. Zachrisson was a Guatemalan lawyer, politician, economist and banker. He was Minister of Finance during the government of Josรฉ Marรญa Orellana. He directed the monetary conversion of the country in 1924, through which the gold standard and the parity of the quetzal with the US dollar were established. He also contributed to the creation of the Regulatory Fund and, subsequently, to the constitution of the Central Bank of Guatemala, predecessor of the current Bank of Guatemala.