Cuba is the biggest island of the Antilles, at Caribs sea, placed in a privileged position between Miami and Yucatan peninsulas. During colonies time, it was a very valuable point of contact to Europe, hence the nickname of "Key of the Caribs", illustrated on their coat of arms showing a key between 2 peninsulas, and by the Cuban minthouse mark being a key. During colonial times, Cuba did not have an own minthouse, and received scarce sending of coins from Mexico mint, known as "Situados". These were not enough, and many Spanish coins were used, mainly from Seville mint, so they were called "Sevillanas". Those coins had a real value lower then the colonial minted ones, but they were exchanged at same value of colonial coins. To avoid this, in 1841, many were countermarked to "clean" the circulating coinage. On 1741, during the siege to Santiago de Cuba, copper coins were minted - the first in Americas. First Cuban coin is considered to be the "Peso Souvenir", minted to finance the freedom campaign on 1897. Minted in the US, "1 Peso" was replaced with "Souvenir" word. The following year same type of coins were minted displaying a "1 Peso" face value. First coinage from Cuba as independent country started with 1915 and 1916 series, including copper-nickel, silver and gold coins. These were engraved by the famous Edward Barber, from the US, and the obverse is still used on actual coins. From 1994, Cuba has double currency, the original Peso Cubano (CUP) from 1915, that never changed (copper-nickel coins still are legal tender), and the Peso Convertible (CUC) originally intended to be used by visitors and Cubans living overseas. CUC is commonly paired to USD value, and CUP is about 1/25 CUC. From a few years ago, government is considering to return to use only 1 currency. Today Cuba strikes all its circulating coins and most of the commemorative issues through its own minthouse, that started production on 1977. Cuba has maintained the design of circulating coins, with minor changes, and introduced 2 bimetallic coins of 5 CUC in 2004 (dated 1999), and 5 CUP in 2016. More noticeable differences are found on commemorative circulating issues. Cuba hase produced a huge variety of commemorative coins from 1977, based on themes such as sports, Cuban history, monuments, flora & fauna, FAO, Hispanic-American themes, etc. Wikidata: Q241
1 Peso (Niña)
1981 Non-circulating coin: Discovery of America – "Niña"
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 66,
JMA# AAEE047,
N# 36851
1 Peso (Pinta)
1981 Non-circulating coin: Discovery of America – "Pinta"
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 67,
JMA# AAEE049,
N# 36999
1 Peso (Santa Maria)
1981 Non-circulating coin: Discovery of America – "Santa Maria"
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 68,
JMA# AAEE048,
N# 70310
1 Peso (Ernest Hemingway)
1982 Non-circulating coin: Ernest Hemingway – Ernest Hemingway
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 88,
JMA# AAEE097,
N# 10102
1 Peso (Marlin fishing)
1982 Non-circulating coin: Ernest Hemingway – Marlin fishing
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 89,
JMA# AAEE098,
N# 5124
1 Peso (The Old Man and the Sea)
1982 Non-circulating coin: Ernest Hemingway – Nobel Prize of Literature
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 90,
JMA# AAEE099,
N# 62885
1 Peso (Miguel de Cervantes)
1982 Non-circulating coin: Spanish Themes – Miguel de Cervantes
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 91,
JMA# AAEE088,
N# 5122
1 Peso (Sarajevo 1984 - Ice Hockey)
1983 Non-circulating coin: Winter Olympic Games – Winter Olympics Sarajevo '84
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 196,
JMA# AAEE111,
N# 57971
1 Peso (Sarajevo 1984 - Skier)
1983 Non-circulating coin: Winter Olympic Games – Winter Olympics Sarajevo '84
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 197,
JMA# AAEE110,
N# 62834
1 Peso
1983-1989 Standard circulation coin
Brass • 6 g • ⌀ 24.5 mm
KM# 105,
Schön# A34,
N# 2854
1 Peso (Merchant Navy of Cuba)
1984 Non-circulating coin: Cuban Means of Transportation – Merchant Navy of Cuba
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 116,
JMA# AAEE132,
N# 38448
1 Peso (Cuban Volanta Coach)
1984 Non-circulating coin: Cuban Means of Transportation – Cuban Volanta Coach
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 130,
JMA# AAEE133,
N# 14172
1 Peso (El Morro - Havana)
1984 Non-circulating coin: Castles of Cuba – El Morro - Havana
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 140,
JMA# AAEE142,
N# 61730
1 Peso (La Fuerza - Havana)
1984 Non-circulating coin: Castles of Cuba – La Fuerza - Havana
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 142,
JMA# AAEE144,
N# 5121
1 Peso (El Morro - Santiago de Cuba)
1984 Non-circulating coin: Castles of Cuba – El Morro - Santiago de Cuba
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 144,
JMA# AAEE143,
N# 14173
1 Peso (hot air balloon)
1984 Non-circulating coin: Cuban Means of Transportation – Hot air balloon
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 172,
JMA# PPV4,
N# 294425
1 Peso (Johann Sebastian Bach)
1985 Non-circulating coin: International Year of Music – Johann Sebastian Bach
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 120,
JMA# AAEE161,
N# 39735
1 Peso (Automobile)
1986 Non-circulating coin: 100th. Anniversary of Automobile – 100th Anniversary of the Automobile
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 134,
JMA# AAEE177,
N# 56490
1 Peso (Landing of the Granma)
1986 Non-circulating coin: Themes of the Cuban Revolution – Landing of the Granma
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 136,
JMA# AAEE179,
N# 39737
1 Peso (Skater - with rings)
1986 Non-circulating coin: Winter Olympic Games – 15th. Winter Olympics, Calgary '88
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 138,
JMA# AAEE174,
N# 61728
1 Peso (International Year of Peace)
1986 Non-circulating coin: International Year of Peace – Picasso's Peace dove
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 156,
JMA# AAEE170, AAEE171,
N# 39740
1 Peso (Skater - without rings)
1986 Non-circulating coin: 15th. Winter Olympics, Calgary '88
Copper-nickel • 11.3 g • ⌀ 29.9 mm
KM# 198,
JMA# AAEE175,
N# 39738