10 Cuban Pesos Banknote (Maximo Gomez)

10 Pesos Peso (Issued 1997-2020)

The late 1990s marked a period of cautious economic reform in Cuba under Fidel Castro’s revolutionary government, as the island nation sought to stabilise its monetary system following the severe economic crisis of the early 1990s known as the Special Period — a time of acute hardship triggered by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the tightening of the United States trade embargo. In 1997, the Banco Central de Cuba was formally established as an independent central bank, separating monetary authority from the commercial banking function that had previously been combined within the Banco Nacional de Cuba. This 10 Pesos note, dated Año 1997, represents one of the earliest issues under the newly constituted Banco Central de Cuba and reflects the institutional ambitions of a government determined to project monetary credibility during a period of significant national strain. The denomination and design were maintained across subsequent years, making notes of this series a consistent feature of everyday Cuban economic life through to 2020.

On the front, the note is dominated by a finely engraved portrait of Máximo Gómez, the Dominican-born general who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Liberation Army during the Cuban Wars of Independence, positioned to the right of centre. The portrait is rendered in detailed intaglio engraving, capturing Gómez’s characteristic round spectacles, full grey beard and moustache, and formal dark jacket, with fine cross-hatched shading giving considerable depth to the image. His name, “MAXIMO GOMEZ,” is printed in small capitalised text directly beneath the portrait. The overall colour palette of the front is a warm reddish-brown and olive-green combination, applied across both the background guilloché work and the central design elements. At the centre of the note sits a bold starburst or sunburst geometric medallion rendered in dark brown, within which the words “DIEZ PESOS” are printed in large, prominent lettering. To the left of this central medallion is an ornate rectangular panel containing an interlocking monogram device, likely representing the initials of the Banco Central de Cuba. The issuing authority, “BANCO CENTRAL DE CUBA,” is printed in large bold capital letters across the very top of the note. The serial number “157383” appears twice — once in red print at the upper left and once in black at the upper centre — accompanied by the prefix “DA-06” printed in red on both the left and right sides of the note. The year of issue, “AÑO 1997,” appears in the upper right corner and is repeated in smaller text at the lower left. The abbreviation “BCC” is printed in large, lightly screened letters to the right of centre as a background security feature. A signature line runs across the lower centre of the note beneath the central medallion, accompanied by the text “PRESIDENTE DEL BANCO,” indicating the authorising signature of the bank’s president. The numeral “10” appears in the lower left corner in a larger display typeface. The paper surface exhibits visible guilloché patterning in the background across the full width of the note, providing an intricate geometric security underprint in pale tones beneath the primary printed elements.

The reverse of the note is printed predominantly in dark brown and sepia tones throughout. The heading “REPUBLICA DE CUBA” is printed in bold capital letters across the top of the note, positioned centrally. The principal design on the reverse is a large engraved vignette set within an ornate scalloped or wavy-edged border frame, depicting what appears to be an industrial or urban landscape scene, with buildings, factory or industrial structures including what may be chimneys, palm trees rising in the middle distance, and what appear to be stacked artillery pieces or cannons arranged prominently in the foreground of the composition. This scene is rendered in fine line engraving with considerable tonal variation, giving depth to the architectural and natural elements within the frame. Below the central vignette, the text “GUERRA DE TODO EL PUEBLO” — meaning “War of All the People,” referencing Cuba’s national defence doctrine — is printed in small capital letters. To the left side of the note, outside the central frame, decorative engraved foliage or scroll patterns are visible in dark brown. To the lower right, the denomination “10 PESOS” is displayed within a starburst medallion consistent in design with that on the obverse, printed in dark brown. The numeral “10” in display type also appears at the upper left corner of the reverse. The paper shows light show-through from the front printing, and faint watermark impressions are visible in the lighter areas of the note when examined in raking light.

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Other Cuban Pesos you can exchange: 1, 3, 5, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000.