1897 & 1898 - CUBA CONTRIBUTION ISSUES - SOUVENIR, PESO & 20 Cts. - PATTERNS - TRIALS - MS - PROOFS

Set Description
THE COINS COMPOSING THIS SERIES ARE A COMPLEX MIX OF HISTORY AND DISCOVERIES. AFTER OVER 120 YEARS OF THEIR ISSUANCE. WE CONTINUE TO FIND NEW SPECIMENS FROM DIFFERENT DIES THAT SHED FURTHER INFORMATION, NOT ONLY AS TO THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER THEY WERE STRUCK, BUT THEY ALSO GIVE US AN INSIGHT OF THE EFFORTS BY THE MEMBERS OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY JUNTA IN NEW YORK TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THEIR REVOLUTIONARY CAUSE.

THE JUNTA PRODUCED THESE COINS TO SERVE A DUAL PURPOSE; TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CAUSE, AND TO GIVE A FORWARD LOOK TO THE CUBAN REPUBLIC, AS THESE COINS WERE GUARANTEED TO BE LEGAL TENDER AT FACE VALUE IN A FUTURE FREE CUBAN REPUBLIC AFTER CUBA GAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN. THIS GUARANTEE WAS INDEED HONORED BY THE NASCENT REPUBLIC OF CUBA AFTER 1902.

THE SOUVENIR & PESO COINAGE REPRESENTS A UNIQUE PERIOD WHICH IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR. DON TOMAS ESTRADA PALMA, PRESIDENT OF THE JUNTA REPUBLICANA DE CUBA AND PUERTO RICO, IN NEW YORK, WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS PROJECT, AND IN CONSULTATION WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS RELUCTANT TO GRANT AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF THE WORD "UN PESO" AND INSITED IN THE USE OF THE WORD "SOUVENIR" FOR THE 1897 COINAGE.

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT POSITION CHANGED DRAMATICALLY AFTER THE EXPLOSION OF THE U.S. BATTLESHIP SS MAINE IN THE HARBOR OF HAVANA IN FEBRUARY OF 1898 WHICH CAUSED A DECLARATION OF WAR BY THE U.S. CONGRESS vs SPAIN ALSO RESULTING IN THE AUTHORIZATION TO USE "UN PESO" IN THE 1898 COINAGE..

WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOW BELOW AN ALMOST COMPLETE LISTING OF THESE ISSUES CIRCULATING DURING 1897 & 1898 WITH THE PURPOSE OF RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY CAUSE. WE MUST MENTION THE REPORTED EXISTENCE OF A GOLD PIECE PRESENTED TO MS. ELEONOR MOLINA IN GRATITUDE FOR ACTING AS A MODEL FOR THE ENGRAVER, WHILE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHICH TYPE WAS INVOLVED, WE BELIEVE THIS COIN MIGHT BE EMO TYPE #3.

Set Goals
TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE SEQUENCE LEADING TO THE STRIKING OF THESE PATRIOTIC ISSUES OF 1897 & 1898 WITH THEIR SEVERAL DIE VARIETIES.