| Descripción del anverso |
The Cuban national coat of arms occupies the central field, featuring the royal palm, rising sun, and the key of the Gulf of Mexico, supported by an oak branch and laurel branch tied with a ribbon, with the fasces on the left. The circular legend 'REPUBLICA DE CUBA' arcs along the upper periphery. The weight '12 G.' and fineness 'AG 0.999' appear on the left and right fields respectively, while the denomination '5 PESOS' is inscribed along the lower periphery. |
| Escritura del anverso |
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| Descripción del reverso |
Two Bee Hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae) are depicted in flight above a flowering plant, rendered in naturalistic detail. The date '1981' is inscribed in the left field. The upper legend 'FAUNA CUBANA' arcs around the top periphery, identifying the series, while the common name 'ZUNZUN' curves along the lower periphery, identifying the species. |
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| Canto |
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| Casa de moneda |
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| Tirada |
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Cuba's early 1980s wildlife silver program was driven partly by hard currency needs — the government was actively courting foreign collectors and international numismatic markets at a time when U.S. trade embargo made conventional dollar earnings nearly impossible. The Bee Hummingbird, endemic to Cuba and the smallest bird on earth, was a deliberate choice: an internationally recognizable natural rarity tied exclusively to the island.
The dual KM and JMA references suggest variant issues exist within this type — the JMA numbering, maintained by the Casa de la Moneda, occasionally distinguishes packaging or distribution differences not captured in Krause.