500 Pesos

El Banco Español de la Habana was the dominant colonial banking institution in Cuba, operating under Spanish imperial charter while relying heavily on American printing expertise — an arrangement that reflected the commercial realities of mid-nineteenth-century Caribbean finance rather than any political contradiction anyone seemed eager to resolve. The National Bank Note Company, active in New York before its absorption into the American Bank Note Company in 1879, produced work for numerous Latin American and Caribbean issuers during this period.

The "186x" dating indicates the year field was left partially open at press, with the final digit completed upon issue — a common production economy for notes printed in large batches against anticipated demand. At the 500 peso denomination, actual circulation would have been extremely limited; these moved between merchants and institutions, not through ordinary hands.