3 Pesos 'A' Foreign Exchange Certificate

Cuba's Foreign Exchange Certificate system was introduced in 1981 to manage the flow of hard currency through the tourist economy and among Cubans receiving remittances from abroad. The "A" series — printed on paper with a blue tint — was intended for use by foreign visitors, while a parallel "B" series in red served Cuban nationals who held dollars. The distinction mattered legally: mixing the two in ordinary commerce was prohibited, though in practice enforcement was inconsistent.

Státní Tiskárna Cenin, the Czechoslovak state security printer, produced the entire FEC series — a natural choice given Havana's close ties with the Eastern Bloc and the printer's long relationship with socialist-state currency contracts. The certificates were withdrawn in 1989 when the A/B distinction was collapsed into a single unified FEC.