Catalog
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| Issuer | El Banco Español de la Habana |
|---|---|
| Year | 186x |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Sucursal en Sagua la Grande branch issue. Central intaglio vignette of a seated allegorical female figure with a cornucopia against a harbour and industrial scene background, flanked by two ornate guilloche medallions bearing the numeral 50. Yellow-ochre guilloche underprint with elaborate border and detachable stubs at left and right. Signature lines for El Director, El Administrador, and El Cajero appear at the bottom. |
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| Obverse lettering | BANCO ESPAÑOL DE LA HABANA / SUCURSAL DE SAGUA LA GRANDE / LA SUCURSAL EN SAGUA LA GRANDE / DE EL BANCO ESPAÑOL DE LA HABANA / á la presentacion de este billete pagará al portador CINCUENTA pesos fuertes en efectivo / SAGUA LA GRANDE / El Director / El Administrador / El Cajero / Número de orden ó de emisión / Número de la toma de razon / Serie 3ª |
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| Comments |
El Banco Español de la Habana was the dominant colonial banking institution in Cuba, operating under Spanish authority during a period when the island's sugar economy was generating enormous cash flows that demanded reliable high-denomination instruments. The National Bank Note Company — better known for its early U.S. federal currency contracts — printed this series in New York, which was standard practice for Spanish colonial issuers who lacked domestic printing infrastructure capable of the engraving quality required for fraud deterrence.
The "186x" dating reflects an undated or partially dated plate, with the final digit left blank or hand-completed at issue — a convention that allowed a single plate to serve across multiple years without re-engraving.