Cuba issued a long series of commemorative pesos through the 1980s targeting the international collector market — hard currency was desperately needed, and CUBACOIN, the state export agency, marketed these aggressively abroad while they saw virtually no domestic circulation. The National Ballet issue honors the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, founded by Alicia Alonso in 1948, who continued directing the company despite being nearly blind for most of her career.
Cuba issued a long series of commemorative pesos through the 1980s targeting the international collector market — hard currency was desperately needed, and CUBACOIN, the state export agency, marketed these aggressively abroad while they saw virtually no domestic circulation. The National Ballet issue honors the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, founded by Alicia Alonso in 1948, who continued directing the company despite being nearly blind for most of her career.