Cuba peso banknotes

Cuba peso banknotes are paper currency issues produced for circulation in Cuba, issued across different eras by successive authorities including the colonial administration, the republic, and the national bank. From 1869, decimal notes denominated in centavos were also released, with one hundred centavos to each Spanish peso. Although the Cuban peso was formally established by law in October 1914, the republic did not release its first banknotes, which were silver certificates, until 1935.

The Cuban peso circulated at parity with the United States dollar from 1915 until 1959–1960. Following the imposition of a United States trade embargo and the adoption of a socialist planned economy under the Castro government, the currency was pegged to the Soviet ruble. In 1985, the Banco Nacional de Cuba introduced foreign exchange certificates to manage transactions by visitors. Later, during the economic adjustments of the Special Period, the peso co-circulated with the Cuban convertible peso between 1994 and 2020 under a dual-track economic framework, before monetary unification in 2021 made the Cuban peso the sole legal tender.

In terms of visual design, Cuban peso banknotes display portraits of national figures on their obverse faces, complemented by historical scenes depicted on the reverse. Distinguishing features between the various eras of issue include the specific currency denomination, such as early decimal centavos or later peso values, and the formal title of the issuing authority inscribed directly upon the face of the note.