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Tuesday 7 January 2020

1195) 500th Anniversary of Havana, Cuba: The central Bank of Cuba has issued a 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote: Date of issue: 11/2019:

1195) 500th Anniversary of Havana, Cuba: The central Bank of Cuba has issued a 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote: Date of issue: 11/2019:

The Central Bank of Cuba has released a 500 Peso Banknote in 11/2019 commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the town of Havana, with allegorical references related to the founding of the township of San Cristobal de La Habana by the Spanish in 1519, and due to its strategic location, it served as a spring-board for the Spanish conquest of the Americas. It became a port of call for treasure laden Spanish galleons returning to Spain. 

Ships from all over the New World carried products first to Havana, in order to be transported by fleets to Spain.

 For being a trading port and port of call for the riches laden Spanish galleons, Havana suffered regular attacks by buccaneers, pirates and French corsairs.

It was settled by the Europeans by 1515.

King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of a City in 1592 and it was officially designated as "Key to the New World and Rampart of the West Indies".

 To protect the old City, walls and forts were built, not only to counteract the pirates and corsairs, but also to exert more control over commerce with the West Indies and to limit the extensive "contraband" (black market) that had arisen due to the trade restrictions imposed by the "Casa de Contracion of Seville" (the Spanish Crown controlled Trading House that held a monopoly on New World Trade).

The city is the capital of Cuba, largest city, major port and leading commercial centre of Cuba. Its total area is 728.26 sq. kilometres (or 281.18 sq. miles) and total population is about 2,15,000. Its patron saint is Saint Christopher. Its province is "La Habana".

It is the centre of the Cuban government and home to various ministries, headquarters of businesses and over 100 diplomatic offices.

Contemporary Havana is a combination of three cities in one - Old Havana, Vedado and the newer suburban districts.

The city extends mostly Westward and Southward from the bay, which is accessed through a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbours - Mari melena, Guanabacoa and Antares.

The Almendares River traverses the city from South to North, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay.

The 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote:

The Front of the 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote placed against a background of an enlarged Back image of the Banknote

The Front and Back designs of the 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote

The Front of the 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote depicts a portrait of the 19th Century revolutionary Ignacio Agramonte. This design is similar to the presently circulating Banknote of similar denomination.

Also seen on this face is an image of the Giraldilla and the logo of the 500th Anniversary of Havana City Foundation, as well as, the date "11.16.1519".

La Giraldilla - is weather vane in the guise of a small bronze female figure. For more than 350 years she (now a replica, placed somewhat lower - the original is in a museum after it was brought down by a hurricane) has kept watch over Havana from atop the "Castillo de la Real Fuerza" in the City's Old Quarter. It is an icon for Havana since its installation.

On the Back of the 500 Peso Commemorative Banknote the scene of the Guairmo Constitutional Assembly of 1869 has been replaced by one that represents the Template, on the site of the first mass and town council of San Cristobal de la Habana, celebrated on 16th November 1519. It was built in 1827.

The inscription below the image reads - "EL TEMPLETE (1828) - HAVANA FOUNDATION SITE (1519)."

These Commemorative Banknotes will circulate alongside the presently circulating issues.







For some other interesting posts on Currencies of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, please visit the following links:





13) "Spice Island of the Caribbean", Grenada: Fifth Coin out of 8 to be issued in the "Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme" ("EC8 Programme") - all coins to be released in 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)

14) Anguilla - "Culinary Capital" of the East caribbean: Sixth Coin out of 8 to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme: "EC8 Coin Programme"): all coins to be released with the issue date as 2018 - Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars):

15) "Seaplane" St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Seventh Coin out of eight to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme: (EC8 Programme) - all coins to be issued with the date as "2018": Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)

16) "Flamingo", St. Lucia: Eighth and last coin to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold and Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme: (EC8 Pragramme) - all coins were released with the issue date as 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars)and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)
17) The Bahamas: "CRISP" (Counterfeit Resistant Integrated Security Product) Series of new Banknotes: A new half-dollar Banknote issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas on 24.01.2019

18) Sea Motifs, Bahamas: Gold Bullion Coins in the denominations of 100 Dollars (depicting a Blue Marlin) and 250 Dollars (depicting a Conch Shell): Coins issue date: 03.12.2019
Links to some other interesting posts from South American countries & Mexico:





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