20 pesos 1958
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5 salesAbout This Note
This is a pristine uncirculated example of Cuba's 1958 20 Pesos banknote (Pick P-80b), issued by the Banco Nacional de Cuba and printed by the American Bank Note Company. The note displays exceptional preservation with no visible wear, creases, or aging, featuring a striking portrait of revolutionary hero Antonio Maceo on the obverse and Cuba's national coat of arms on the reverse, both rendered in fine engraved detail. This series represents the final banknotes issued before the Castro revolution fundamentally altered Cuban monetary policy in 1959-1960.
Common. This is a regular-issue banknote from a major printing run by the American Bank Note Company spanning 1949-1960. The catalog value guide (2016) lists UNC examples at $20, and eBay historical sales data shows UNC specimens selling for under $1 USD as recently as 2009, with most VF examples trading in the $3-4 range. The print run was substantial, and while the pre-revolutionary 1958 date may hold minor historical interest for Cuban numismatists, the note is readily available in the modern collector market. No evidence suggests recall, cancellation, or scarcity in any grade.
The 1958 20 Pesos note was issued during the final year of the Batista regime, a transitional period in Cuban history immediately preceding the revolutionary upheaval of 1959. The prominence of Antonio Maceo, the 19th-century independence hero known as the 'Bronze Titan,' reflects Cuba's enduring national pride in its struggle for sovereignty, while the elaborate national coat of arms symbolizes the Republic's institutional continuity during this politically turbulent era. This denomination and design series would soon become historically significant as the revolution led to currency reforms and the eventual replacement of the Banco Nacional de Cuba's traditional banknote designs.
The obverse features a formal portrait of General Antonio Maceo (1845-1896), the legendary Cuban independence leader and military strategist, rendered in fine engraved detail within an oval frame. Maceo is depicted with characteristic beard and formal military attire, flanked by laurel wreaths symbolizing honor and victory. The portrait is surrounded by ornate scrollwork and geometric borders typical of late 19th/early 20th-century currency design. The denomination appears in all four corners and is emphasized by a prominent red circular stamp bearing 'VEINTE.' The reverse displays Cuba's national coat of arms—a shield featuring geometric striped patterns, surmounted by a royal palm tree (a national symbol), and framed by laurel wreaths. The arms are enclosed in a circular cartouche with elaborate decorative borders, with '20 PESOS' repeated in ornamental corner cartouches. Both sides employ the sophisticated cross-hatching, fine line work, and complex geometric patterns characteristic of security engraving.
{"front":{"BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA":"National Bank of Cuba","VEINTE":"Twenty","20 PESOS":"20 Pesos","SERIE DE 1958":"Series of 1958","ANTONIO MACEO":"Antonio Maceo (portrait identification)","PRESIDENTE DEL BANCO":"President of the Bank (signature line)","MINISTRO DE HACIENDA":"Minister of Finance (signature line)","AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY":"American Bank Note Company (printer credit)","G481607A":"Serial number"},"back":{"REPÚBLICA DE CUBA":"Republic of Cuba","VEINTE PESOS":"Twenty Pesos","20 PESOS":"20 Pesos (appears in corner cartouches)","ESTE BILLETE TIENE CURSO LEGAL Y FUERZA CIRCULATORIA ILIMITADA DE ACUERDO CON LA LEY PARA EL PAGO DE TODA OBLIGACIÓN CONTRAÍDA O A CONTRAERSE EN TERRITORIO NACIONAL":"This banknote has legal tender status and unlimited circulation authority in accordance with the law for the payment of all obligations contracted or to be contracted within the national territory","AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY":"American Bank Note Company (printer credit)"}}
Intaglio engraving (steel plate engraving), printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York. This premium security printing technique involved hand-engraved designs on hardened steel plates, creating the fine detail, precise line work, and raised tactile surfaces visible throughout the note. The complex cross-hatching patterns, geometric designs in the background, and subtle shading in the portrait are hallmarks of this labor-intensive but highly secure method. The red serial number and denomination stamp were likely applied through separate passes or hand-applied overprinting.
The specific example shown bears serial number G481607A in red, indicating the 'G' series variety. Pick catalog P-80b designation refers to the second variety of the 1958 20 Pesos denomination; the 'b' suffix likely denotes variations in signature combinations or minor design details characteristic of later printings in this series. The red serial number coloring is consistent with standard 1958 production. No overprints or errors are evident on this specimen.
