Catalog
5 Centavos
| Issuer | Banco Español de la Habana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1872-1883 |
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| Reference(s) | P#29 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A seated allegorical figure occupies the central vignette, flanked on each side by the face value expressed in numerals and in full lettering. The issuer name is inscribed across the top, with the denomination repeated in words along the lower portion of the note. |
| Reverse lettering | EL BANCO ESPAÑOL DE LA HABANA 5 CENTAVOS 5 CENTAVOS CINCO CENTAVOS CINCO CENTAVOS (Translation: The Spanish Bank of Havana 5 centavos 5 centavos five centavos five centavos) |
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| Comments |
The Banco Español de la Habana occupied an unusual institutional position — it was a colonial bank operating under Spanish authority in Cuba, yet consistently turned to American Bank Note Company in New York for its printed currency. That arrangement reflected practical reality more than politics: ABNC simply outclassed any Spanish or Cuban alternative in security printing technology during this period.
At 70 × 31 mm, this is among the smallest denominations ABNC ever produced for a Latin American client. The eleven-year date range suggests multiple print runs rather than a single issue, though the series numbering across Pick 29 specimens has never been fully mapped.