Catalog
5 Centavos Obverse Trial
| Issuer | Banco Nacional de Cuba |
|---|---|
| Year | 1968 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Centavos (0.05 CUP) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the Cuban national coat of arms at centre, comprising a shield divided into three sections: the upper portion depicting a key between two landmasses over blue and white horizontal stripes representing the sea, the lower-left section bearing a blue-and-white striped field, and the lower-right section with a golden royal palm tree on a green landscape. The shield is surmounted by a Phrygian liberty cap on a pole, with a sunburst radiating behind it. Flanking the shield are two curved olive-and-oak branch sprigs tied at the base. The circular legend reads 'REPUBLICA DE CUBA' along the upper arc and 'CINCO CENTAVOS' along the lower arc, with a raised dot separating each inscription from the branch terminals. The design is bordered by a fine beaded inner rim. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | 1968: ND (1968) |
| Additional information |
Cuba's 1968 coinage program operated under severe constraints — the U.S. embargo had drastically limited access to metals and minting resources, pushing the Banco Nacional toward irregular production schedules and experimental strikes. Trial pieces from this period were typically produced to test die alignment, planchet behavior, and press calibration before committing to a circulation run, and gold was occasionally used for trials precisely because its malleability and density gave reliable feedback on die performance that softer metals could not.
No corresponding 5 centavos circulation issue in gold was ever released to the public.