20 pesos 1964 specimen

Common. While specimen notes are less frequently encountered than regular circulation examples, the 1964 20 pesos Cuban note (Pick 97) is a standard post-revolutionary issue with a substantial print run. The eBay price data confirms this assessment: uncirculated examples have consistently sold in the $60 range (2015-2019 catalog value of $60 UNC), placing this note firmly in the common category. The specimen variety may command a modest premium over standard circulation notes, but the denomination and series remain readily available to collectors.

This note commemorates Cuba's revolutionary period through its imagery: Camilo Cienfuegos, one of the principal commanders of the Cuban Revolution, graces the obverse, while the reverse depicts the December 2, 1956 landing of the yacht Granma, which carried Fidel Castro and his guerrilla force to begin the armed revolution. Issued during 1961-1965 by the post-revolutionary Banco Nacional de Cuba, this note represents the early monetary propaganda of the Castro regime, with inscriptions emphasizing the state's guarantee of the currency and its legal tender status throughout Cuban territory.

The obverse features a centered oval portrait of Camilo Cienfuegos, identifiable by his characteristic beard and wide-brimmed hat, framed by a laurel wreath—a classical symbol of achievement and honor. The design employs blue and green tones with decorative corner elements displaying the denomination '20' in all four corners. The reverse presents a complex historical scene depicting the landing of the Granma on December 2, 1956, with armed revolutionary fighters in the foreground, including a prominent soldier holding a rifle, additional combatants in the background, palm trees characteristic of Cuban landscape, and a vessel visible in the distance representing the historic yacht. Both sides feature intricate line engraving patterns and background cross-hatching typical of high-security banknote production. The red diagonal 'SPECIMEN' overprint clearly marks this as a non-circulating bank distribution sample.

FRONT: '20' and 'VEINTE PESOS' (Twenty Pesos); 'BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA' (National Bank of Cuba); 'SERIE DE 1964' (Series of 1964); 'CAMILO CIENFUEGOS' (name of portrayed figure); 'PRESIDENTE DEL BANCO' (President of the Bank); 'MINISTRO DE HACIENDA' (Minister of the Treasury); 'GARANTIZADO INTEGRAMENTE CON EL ORO, CAMBIO EXTRANJERO CONVERTIBLE EN ORO Y TODOS LOS DEMAS ACTIVOS DEL BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA. ESTE BILLETE CONSTITUYE UNA OBLIGACION DEL ESTADO CUBANO.' (Fully guaranteed with gold, foreign exchange convertible into gold and all other assets of the National Bank of Cuba. This banknote constitutes an obligation of the Cuban State.); Serial number elements 'A 86' and '144821'; 'SPECIMEN' (overprint, English language). BACK: 'REPUBLICA DE CUBA' (Republic of Cuba); 'VEINTE PESOS' and '20' (Twenty Pesos, repeated left and right); '2 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1956 DESEMBARCO DEL GRANMA' (December 2, 1956 Landing of the Granma); 'ESTE BILLETE TIENE CURSO LEGAL Y FUERZA LIBERATORIA ILIMITADA, DE ACUERDO CON LA LEY, PARA EL PAGO DE TODA OBLIGACION CONTRAIDA A CUMPLIR EN EL TERRITORIO NACIONAL.' (This banknote has legal tender status and unlimited liberatory force, in accordance with the law, for the payment of all obligations incurred and to be fulfilled in the national territory.)

This note was produced using intaglio (engraved) printing techniques, as evidenced by the fine line engraving patterns, intricate cross-hatching, and detailed background patterns observed throughout both sides. The printer is identified as STC-P (without imprint), indicating production by the Security Printing Corporation without visible printer attribution on the note itself. The multi-color design (blue, green, red, cream/beige) was achieved through successive intaglio passes, a standard security printing method for banknotes of this era.

This is specifically a 1964 specimen variety (Pick 97bs designation, where 's' indicates specimen status). The note bears serial number prefix 'A 86' with sequential number '144821', and the inscription 'SERIE DE 1964' dates it to the 1964 printing of this series, despite the official issue period spanning 1961-1965. The red 'SPECIMEN' overprint is the defining characteristic of this particular variety. No signature varieties are discernible from the visual analysis provided, though standard signature combinations for PRESIDENTE DEL BANCO and MINISTRO DE HACIENDA are present.