Catalog
50 Centavos
| Issuer | La República de Cuba |
|---|---|
| Year | 1869 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The Cuban flag, rendered in fine intaglio engraving, occupies the centre of the note with the lone star and diagonal stripes clearly delineated. Denomination numerals "50" appear in circular guilloche vignettes at the upper left and upper right corners. A red sunburst seal is applied at the lower right, partially overlapping the central vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 50 50 LA REPUBLICA DE CUBA. pagará al portador CINCUENTA CENTAVOS 1869. (Translation: The Republic of Cuba will pay the bearer Fifty centavos 1869.) |
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| Comments |
Cuba's 1869 peso-series notes were issued under extraordinary pressure. The Ten Years' War had begun in October 1868, and the Spanish colonial government authorized this emergency paper currency to manage wartime fiscal strain — hard coin was being hoarded or exported almost immediately as confidence collapsed.
Pick 54 is among the earliest Cuban government paper issues, predating any proper central banking structure on the island. The revolutionary and loyalist factions both contested the currency's legitimacy, which severely limited acceptance outside government-controlled transactions.
Forgeries circulated almost immediately after issue.