From the Grading Room

Recently a substantial collection of Cuban bank notes made its way through the PMG Grading Room. While the entire lot was of exceptional quality, a handful of the notes were superlative in regard to their condition as well as their scarcity. One such note is – undoubtedly – the 5 Peso note pictured below. As a part of the first issue of bank notes from the National Bank of Cuba in 1905, this note features an appealing face rich in complex plate engraving and the portrait of J. Montes while the back features the same vignette of a fortress found on other notes of same issue.

Information provided in the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money suggests that this particular variety – as well as the 1 and 2 Peso notes from the same issue – was never officially issued and is exceedingly rare. Revealing the continuing growth and diversification of the collectable world currency market, the sheer scale and excellence of this collection – easily one of the best in private hands to turn up for third-party grading – seems to suggest that a growing rank of collectors of world bank notes are increasingly interested in amassing highly specialized collections with both numismatic as well as long-term investment potential.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge