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10 Centavos
| Issuer | El Banco Español de la Isla de Cuba |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | EL BANCO ESPAÑOL DE LA ISLA DE CUBA SÉRIE K A LA PRESENTACION DE ESTE BILLETE PAGARÁ AL PORTADOR 10 DIEZ CENTAVOS EN METÁLICO HABANA, 15 DE FEBRERO DE 1897 EL GOBERNADOR American Bank Note Co. New York |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in brown with a central oval vignette of a busy harbour scene showing a large full-rigged sailing vessel alongside a steam-powered ship, surrounded by dense engine-turned guilloche work that fills the entire field. The denomination numerals '10' appear in ornate cartouches to the left and right of the central vignette, with EL BANCO arching above and ESPAÑOL DE LA ISLA DE CUBA running along the lower margin. The printer's imprint AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY NEW YORK is lettered in small capitals beneath the central vignette. |
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| Comments |
El Banco Español de la Isla de Cuba issued this note in 1897 — two years into the Cuban War of Independence and one year before Spain lost the island entirely. The bank had been the sole authorized issuer on Cuba since 1856, a privilege that became increasingly precarious as colonial authority collapsed around it. By the time these notes were printed, much of the interior of Cuba was under insurgent control, and Spanish-issued currency was being refused or discounted in rebel-held areas.
The American Bank Note Company, which had long handled Spanish colonial printing contracts, produced the plate in New York — a quiet irony given what was coming in 1898.