5 Pesos 40th Anniversary of FAO

Cuba's FAO commemorative series emerged from the island's complex relationship with UN agencies during the U.S. embargo years — international organizations like the FAO offered Havana a channel for legitimate multilateral engagement that bilateral diplomacy largely foreclosed. The 1985 issue marks forty years since the FAO's founding in Quebec City in October 1945, a date Cuba observed with particular interest given its own agricultural restructuring under state collectivization.

The dual JMA references (AAEE165/AAEE166) indicate two distinct variants were cataloged for this issue — likely a proof and a business strike, though collectors should verify against die characteristics rather than surface appearance alone.