1991 Cuba Banco Nacional Specimen 10 & 20 Pesos P-109s P-110s PMG 67 EPQ Set

1991 Cuba Banco Nacional Specimen 10 & 20 Pesos P-109s P-110s PMG 67 EPQ Set

This listing features a vibrant two-note specimen set from the Banco Nacional de Cuba, both dated 1991 and certified by PMG as Superb Gem Unc 67 EPQ. These are official specimens of the post–Cold War redesign of Cuba’s mid-range denominations, printed by STC-P and overprinted with bold red “SPECIMEN” diagonally across each side and all-zero serial numbers.

Included notes:

• 10 Pesos – Pick 109s – Portrait: Máximo Gómez – PMG 67 EPQ

• 20 Pesos – Pick 110s – Portrait: Camilo Cienfuegos – PMG 67 EPQ

Historical significance

By 1991, Cuba was entering its “Special Period” as the Soviet Union collapsed and external support disappeared. These redesigned 10- and 20-peso notes reflect an effort to modernize the currency’s look while continuing the long tradition of honoring heroes of both the 19th-century independence wars and the 20th-century revolution.

• The 10 pesos portrays Máximo Gómez, the Dominican-born general who became Commander-in-Chief of Cuba’s Liberation Army and a central strategist of the wars against Spain.

• The 20 pesos honors Camilo Cienfuegos, one of the most beloved guerrilla commanders of the 1959 revolution, remembered for his charisma and mysterious disappearance later that year.

On the reverses, the designs emphasize the ideological themes of the era:

• The 10 pesos reverse is titled “Guerra de todo el pueblo” (“War of All the People”), showing armed citizens ready to defend the nation, symbolizing Cuba’s doctrine of mass popular defense.

• The 20 pesos reverse, “Programa Alimentario” (“Food Program”), depicts agricultural workers, fields, and farm infrastructure, representing the national drive for food self-sufficiency.

Together, the pair encapsulates both the heroic past and the social and economic priorities of early-1990s Cuba.

Design and features

10 Pesos – Pick 109s

The obverse uses rich browns and warm multi-color underprints. At right is a finely engraved bust of Máximo Gómez, his beard and uniform crisply rendered in intaglio. At left, the denomination “DIEZ PESOS” appears beneath the national star emblem and patterned security background. The bank title “BANCO NACIONAL DE CUBA” runs across the top border, while guilloché patterns and microtext enhance security and visual depth. A red SPECIMEN overprint crosses the face and matching red “000000” serials appear in the upper left and lower center.

The reverse is dominated by the “Guerra de todo el pueblo” vignette: a column of armed citizens marching through a rural landscape with raised rifles and banners, framed by angular borders and a complex rosette at right. The legend “REPUBLICA DE CUBA” appears above, with “10 PESOS” counters at the corners.

20 Pesos – Pick 110s

On the 20 pesos obverse, cool blues and greys set off the portrait of Camilo Cienfuegos at right, wearing his iconic broad-brimmed hat. The center section carries the star emblem and denomination “VEINTE PESOS” over a layered rainbow-colored security field, while the lower panel contains the legal tender text and bank signatures. Again, bold red SPECIMEN overprint and all-zero serials mark the note as a non-circulating printer’s example.

The reverse features “Programa Alimentario”: a large central vignette of a worker in the foreground with agricultural scenes—fields, silos, and machinery—stretching into the distance. Intricate borders and guilloché surrounds the artwork, with “20 PESOS” counters providing clear denomination indicators.

Both notes share the updated 1991 layout with strong geometric elements, multi-color underprints, and modern security aesthetics while retaining classic engraved portraits.

Remarkable denominations & catalog data

• 10 Pesos – Pick 109s

  • Date: 1991

  • Portrait: Máximo Gómez

  • Theme reverse: Guerra de todo el pueblo

  • Type: Official specimen with red overprint and 000000 serials

• 20 Pesos – Pick 110s

  • Date: 1991

  • Portrait: Camilo Cienfuegos

  • Theme reverse: Programa Alimentario

  • Type: Official specimen with red overprint and 000000 serials

Both issues were printed by STC-P for the Banco Nacional de Cuba and are key modern types in the Cuban series.

Collector’s value

For collectors of Cuban or socialist-era paper money, this matched 1991 specimen pair is highly appealing: two important mid-range denominations, each with a celebrated independence or revolutionary hero, powerful ideological reverse scenes, and crisp multicolor designs. PMG certification and identical Superb Gem 67 EPQ grades make them ideal as a reference set, a standout page in a specimen album, or a strong upgrade for an existing Cuba collection. Acquiring both notes together ensures a visually balanced, historically rich duo that’s harder to assemble piecemeal.