Cuban 1-centavo coins

[villa66]

Cuba—freed from Spanish rule—introduced its new coinage in 1915. Low-value in the new series was this copper-nickel 1-centavo coined in Philadelphia:

[villa66]

An additional mintage of these 1-centavo pieces was executed in 1916, and a year later these and the other Cuban coins would be swept into WWI and the accelerating economy that followed.

The end of the war changed things. The postwar crash hit Cuban sugar—and Cuba itself—hard. But not before one more mintage of 1-centavo pieces (also of this type) had been commissioned. By October of the year they were coined, the new 1920 1-centavo—and just three other centavos like it—would buy a pound of sugar. (Just a few months earlier a pound of sugar had brought 22+ centavos.)

So the “Dance of the Millions” ended abruptly, as did Cuba’s need for new coins. With the 1920 crash, and the Great Depression ten years later, it was not until 1938 that Cuba would have additional 1-centavo pieces struck. (Still of the 1915 type.) The 1938 centavos would be the last copper-nickel coins of the denomination until after WWII...

[villa66]

During WWII, of course, the Cuban economy again revved up and new 1-centavo coins were required. Of the 20,000,000 coined, fully 18,000,000 were struck in 1944, but all were dated 1943:

[villa66]

This 1943 centavo—a one-year type—is brass because of the wartime need for nickel. The substitution of other metals for nickel was widespread among the world’s coinages during WWII, and is very familiar to the members of the forum who frequent this section.

Note the lighter weight of 2.3 grams displayed by this coin (rather than the usual 2.5), and see also the .300 figure (rather than the usual .250)—on this coin it denotes an alloy containing 30% zinc. On Cuban coins in general, this number is probably best understood as “the amount of metal in this coin’s alloy that is not copper.”

For various reasons the end of the Second World War was not the economic catastrophe for Cuba that the end of WWI had been. There was need for a large (50,000,000) mintage of new copper-nickel 1-centavo pieces dated 1946:

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Although at first glance—and second, too—the new coin looks identical to the 1-centavo of the old 1915 type, this postwar 1946 centavo of the old prewar copper nickel composition is very slightly different. Instead of advertising its weight as “2.5 G.”, this centavo now proclaims itself to be “2.5 Gr.”

Perhaps not quite so well-known as the need for nickel during WWII was the demand for that metal during the Korean War of 1950-53, and how it affected several of the world’s coinages—including Cuba’s. See, for example, this 1953 brass 1-centavo of another new type, this one featuring a portrait of famous writer, publisher, independence advocate and Cuban national hero, José Marti:

[villa66]

This 1953 1-centavo is an interesting tiny commemorative—struck in humble brass. (Note the return of the 2.3 and .300 identifiers.) This little brass 1-centavo is the low-value in a 4-member coin set celebrating the centennial of Marti’s birth. Commemoratives, but circulating commemoratives. The mintage of this 1953 1-centavo is 50,000,000 (2,160,000 of which were struck in 1952 but with 1953 dates).

Worth noting in the 1953 commemorative series are, peculiarly, a 25- and 50-centavo piece (20- and 40-centavos were the traditional Cuban denominations).

By 1958, additional 1-centavo pieces were needed, and so 50,000,000 copper-nickel examples of a new type were coined, again—but perhaps for the final time—in Philadelphia:

[villa66]

Marti’s portrait remains, but the centennial legend has disappeared, leaving behind a notably uncluttered obverse. And the coin’s white copper-nickel emphasizes the cleanness of the design, I think (although I’m sure some might think the look is somewhat unbalanced).

Speaking of design, I’ll note that the Marti of the 1953 and the 1958 types cuts a far more dashing figure than his profile portrait on the first-year gold of 1915, which seems to me to be rather timid. (“Dashing good looks?” Maybe in ’53 and ‘58. After all, the actor César Romero claimed Marti as his grandfather!)

The political tug-of-war over Marti’s legacy is interesting to see. As noted, Marti was featured on the inaugural coinage of 1915, again in the 1950s, and then after the revolution—under Castro—Marti again appears on Cuban coinage. Such is the prestige of Marti’s name, that when the U.S. begins radio programming aimed at Castro’s Cuba in the 1980s, the name chosen is “Radio Marti.”

Three years later, in 1961, we see a one-year revival of the 1946 type:

[villa66]

Of these 1961 1-centavo pieces, 100,000,000 were struck—double the mintage of any previous Cuban 1-centavo. But where were they struck? Philadelphia? Or Kremnica? The Guide Book of Modern Latin American Coins, published in 1966 by Robert P. Harris, indicates these coins were minted at Czechoslovakia’s Kremnica mint, and the U.S. Treasury publication Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States 1793-1980 lists the final Cuban coins struck in the U.S. as being the 5-centavos of 1960, with no mention of any 1961 1-centavo pieces.

So, despite some conflicting information I have seen on the Web—and despite the sometimes failure of American straightforwardness(!) where Cuba is concerned—I have to think the 1961 1-centavo pieces were coined in Czechoslovakia at the Kremnica mint.

Which would mean that some of the early coin shipments from the East Bloc must have included this 1961 centavo….

Which is of special interest because the year after 1961 is 1962, and 1962 was the year of the “Cuban Missile Crisis.” Very particular attention was paid that year to the freighters headed from the East bloc to Cuba. Maybe in the cargo hold of one of those ships, perhaps one of the ships with missiles visible topside, were the crates carrying these 1961 centavos. Or maybe not.

[villa66]

We got past the year 1962, and then in 1963 there was a 1-centavo that broke with the past:

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For the first time ever, the 1-centavo of 1963 was coined in aluminum and dispensed with the customary proclamations of weight and fineness. Again there was a tremendous rise in production, with some 200,020,000 pieces being coined. Mintage of this 1963-82 type was frequent, and their numbers substantial.

But perhaps the break with the old coins was not quite complete…“Patria Y Libertad” still proclaims this 1963 1-centavo, just as they had since those first coins of 1915.

Until the appearance of this 1983 1-centavo, when “Patria Y Libertad” became “Patria O Muerte:”

[villa66]

Mintage of these 1-centavo pieces? Or of the subsequent years? I don’t know. The numbers seem more difficult to find.

v.

[Erdnussbier]

Hello,

I really enjoyed to read your summary of these coin-nominal. Very interesting to explain 100 years of history with coins!

The numbers seem more difficult to find.

I have also found no mintage...

Regards Erdnussbier

[villa66]

Danke....

v.