Signature Set Detail: 7. BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA 1905 - SPECIMEN - ISSUED & CANCELLED NOTES

Set Category:

World

Owner:

EMO COLLECTION 

Set Theme:

BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA - 1905

Set Description:

This exceedingly rare set of 1905 PESO NOTES was printed by the AMERICAN BANKNOTE CO. New York acting by orders received from Banco Nacional de Cuba. The Bank was a private entity at the time, and the recipient of a Fiduciary Contract from the Cuban Government to secure financing in the USA for Cuban Government Public works.

The sets are composed of three sub-types, 1. the SPECIMEN set, 2. the Issued Notes set, and 3. the Cancelled Notes set. By far, the rarest is the Issued Notes set, because these notes were NEVER authorized by the Cuban Government and thus NEVER placed into circulation. They were incinerated shortly after their Cancellation. The second rarest is the Cancelled set, followed by the SPECIMEN set. Just a few examples of the issued and cancelled notes survived, and while the Specimen notes are found more often, they ae also very rare.

The Cuban Government did not learn of this private issue until it was ready to be released by the Bank. At the request of the Cuban President the issue was never placed into circulation, however some notes did escape the incinerator.

SPECIMEN NOTES show in all values (except 10 Pesos) the word SPECIMEN stamped once in Red ink and ONE round cancelation punch over each signature = 2 Punches. The 10 Peso note shows the word SPECIMEN stamped twice in Red ink and TWO round cancelation punches over each signature = 4 Punches. These notes had been circulated among the stockholders of the Bank and a few selected individuals.

ISSUED NOTES were never placed into circulation but some are extant.

CANCELED NOTES show in all values (except 10 Pesos) the word CANCELED perforated THREE times from the Reverse while the 10 Pesos the perforation is placed from the Obverse. After being rendered unusable, they were burned. A few survived, possibly taken as "souvenirs by the workers tasked with the job of destroying them.

Another parallel issue was ordered with the same values, but in U.S. DOLLAR denomination instead of the PESO. This issue is known to us only as Printer's Proofs. We are unaware of any such note in SPECIMEN or ISSUED condition.

It was not until 1934 that Cuba issued its first Banknotes which were printed by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing (BEP) with the authorization of Congress.

Signature Set Details:

Slot Name	Slot Comment	Certification #	Note Info	Country	Grade	Photo
1-10P..P65/68 NL	ABNC Progress Proof Vignette of MORRO FORTRESS Reverse. Used for ALL values. Proof SPECIAL C-945 and V-43866	8004957-011	$1	United States	N/A
1P...P65 NL	ABNC Progress Proof Vignette of D. MENDEZ CAPOTE Obverse. Proof SPECIAL C-283 and V-42742	8004957-012	$1	United States	N/A
1-10P..P65/68 NL	ABNC Progress Proof Vignette of proposed Reverse never used for BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA Proof SPECIAL C-1119 and V-43695	8005300-001	$1	United States	N/A
1 P...P65s	SPECIMEN 00000	8022473-002	1 Peso ND (1905)	Cuba	66 EPQ
1 P...P65	ISSUED NOTE S/N 000062	8003480-002	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 1 Peso - Printer: ABNC	Cuba	65 EPQ
1 P...P NL	perforated CANCELED S/N 017002	8003646-001	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 1 Peso	Cuba	AU 55
2 P...P66s	SPECIMEN 00000	8003795-002	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba ""SPECIME 2 Pesos	Cuba	64
2 P...P66	ISSUED NOTE S/N 00008	8003480-005	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 2 Pesos - Printer: ABNC	Cuba	64
2 P...P NL	perforated CANCELED S/N 49505	8003480-006	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 2 Pesos - Printer: ABNC	Cuba	AU 55
5 P...P67 NL	ABNC Progress Proof Vignette of GARCIA MONTES Obverse. Proof SPECIAL C-285 and V-42727	1535426-001	$1	United States	N/A
5 P...P67s	SPECIMEN 00000	8003635-001	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba ""SPECIMEN"" 5 Pesos	Cuba	64
5 P...P67	ISSUED NOTE S/N 79904	8003481-002	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 5 Pesos - Printer: ABNC	Cuba	65 EPQ
5 P...P NL	perforated CANCELED S/N 20005	8003481-003	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 5 Pesos - Printer: ABNC	Cuba	AU 55
10 P...P68 NL	ABNC Progress Proof Vignette of T.ESTRADA PALMA never used. Proof SPECIAL C-405 and V-42581	8006172-001	$1	United States	N/A
10 P...P68 NL	ABNC Progress Proof Vignette of T.ESTRADA PALMA Obverse. Proof SPECIAL C-284 and V-42747	8005730-003	$1	United States	N/A
10 P...P68s	SPECIMEN 00000	8003635-002	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba ""SPECIMEN"" 10 Pesos	Cuba	64
10 P...P NL	perforated CANCELED S/N 24006	8003646-002	Cuba Banco Nacional De Cuba 10 Pesos	Cuba	AU 55

back to the top