Moneta
Registered: August 2005 Location: Arizona USA Posts: 2,365
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Cuban ABC pesos were produced at the U.S. Philadelphia mint from 1934-1939. This coin was the same in weight and fineness as the Peace Dollar. They were coined as a bullion reserve to guarantee the value of the paper currency issues of 1934 and later. With the bold and beautiful portrait of Liberty and her cap it is a standout numismatic item for Cuba. This 1934 has the lowest mintage but does not have a premium value, all of them value at a premium if they can be found in gem Unc. I notice that the date font and design treatment is different for the 1934, with more flair, than later issues. It would qualify it for type I/II designations under the US collector system. This coin is uncleaned with a light golden tone; many crowns of Cuba show signs of having been cleaned and mishandled. The obverse/reverse are rotated in this photo.
See the 1936 version where I wrote: I really like the "ABC" Peso, but that's not why I have two examples here. While looking to start a small collection of "BANNED" Cuban coins (just try to search for 'Cuba' in the coin section of eBay, 06/2015), I noticed a difference in the date style and laurel wreath of Liberty. The 1934 (1st yr of issue) has a overlapped date and the wreath leaves (especially) appear to have been tooled on the edges. The 1936 lacks those features. I cannot find a reference that specifies a variety of type 1 vs. 2, but I think it qualifies when such a difference is so apparent.
The fineness and weight appear on the reverse and as these were struck at USA mints, it's exactly the same as a US silver dollar.
The following from Steve Album: The ABC peso achieved its odd name from a group titled the "ABC". This group was a clandestine, revolutionary protest group with members from the University of Havana and young professionals who raised up against the dictatorial rule of President Gerardo Machado. The ABC got its simple name from the three alphabetical cells its members belonged to; A, B, and C.
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