20 Cuban Pesos Banknote (Camilo Cienfuegos)

20 Pesos Peso (Issued 2004-2021)

Few modern Caribbean banknotes carry the ideological weight of the Cuban 20 Pesos, a denomination that places one of the revolution’s most celebrated commanders at its centre while simultaneously showcasing the agricultural ambitions of the Cuban state on its reverse. Currency specialists examining this note will immediately recognise the confident engraving style that characterises Banco Central de Cuba’s standard series, with its deep intaglio linework and densely layered guilloché patterning. The note spans the issue years 2004 to 2021, making dated examples such as the “Año 2006” specimen illustrated here particularly useful reference points for tracking the series across its long print run. The combination of revolutionary portraiture on the front and agrarian imagery on the back gives this note a dual narrative that sets it apart from many of its contemporaries.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Camilo Cienfuegos, the revolutionary comandante and close ally of Fidel Castro, whose name is printed in full beneath his likeness in small capital lettering reading “CAMILO CIENFUEGOS.” He is depicted wearing his characteristic wide-brimmed hat, with a beard, and rendered in a detailed intaglio style that captures the texture of his clothing and the definition of his facial features with considerable precision. The overall colour palette of the front face is a cool blue-violet, with the denomination numeral “20” appearing prominently in the upper right corner and again in larger form at the lower left. The issuing authority is declared in bold serif lettering across the top of the note: “BANCO CENTRAL DE CUBA.” Centrally positioned, the words “VEINTE PESOS” appear in large, bold capital letters, providing a clear denomination statement. To the left of centre, a square cartouche bearing an interlocking geometric device — reminiscent of a stylised “B” and “C” monogram representing the Banco Central — sits above an area of guilloché watermark patterning. The serial number “224260” appears twice on the front, once in red in the upper left and again in black lower centre, alongside the prefix “C1-12.” The year designation “Año 2006” is printed in the upper right area, with “BCC” and “C1-12” also appearing in that quadrant. A facsimile signature sits below centre with the text “PRESIDENTE DEL BANCO” beneath it. Across the mid-section of the note, faint background text reading “CUBA TERRITORIO LIBRE DE AMERICA” is incorporated into the guilloché security pattern. A fine microprint border runs along the lower edge of the note, and the overall print quality reflects the close-register precision typical of this series.

The reverse is printed in a similar blue-violet tone and is dominated by a large central vignette celebrating Cuban agricultural development, captioned along the lower edge with the words “DESARROLLO AGRICOLA.” The scene is framed within a detailed engraved border and depicts, on the left, a male farm worker in a straw hat carrying a large bunch of bananas over his shoulder, rendered with fine linework that conveys a sense of labour and pride. Behind him, and occupying the right-hand portion of the vignette, is a wide agricultural landscape showing rows of crops extending toward distant hills, with mechanised harvesters and tractors visible in operation across the fields. The imagery conveys a deliberate celebration of collectivised farming and mechanised agriculture. The heading “REPUBLICA DE CUBA” is printed in bold serif capitals across the top of the reverse, with the numeral “20” appearing in the upper left corner and again in an ornate guilloché roundel at the lower right. The serial number is visible in faint show-through from the front face. The background of the reverse features fine pale guilloché wave patterns that give the paper surface a layered, textured appearance consistent with the security paper used across this issue.

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• Indicate the quantity of 20 Pesos Peso banknotes you want to exchange
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• Your online account now shows the exchange value

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Other Cuban Pesos you can exchange: 1, 3, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000.