The Cuban peso (in Spanish peso cubano , ISO 4217 code: CUP) also known as moneda nacional , is the official currency of Cuba .
100-532: The Cuban peso historically circulated at par with the Spanish-American silver dollar from the 16th to 19th centuries, and then at par with the U.S. dollar from 1881 to 1959. The Castro government then introduced the socialist planned economy and pegged the peso to the Soviet ruble . The Soviet Union 's collapse in 1991 resulted in a Special Period of difficult economic adjustments for Cuba. From 1994 to 2020
200-585: A "special period" became a concept in Cuban political discourse in the 1980s. It was first used in the context of national defense planning to describe a scenario in which an invasion by the United States might force Cuba into a state of emergency and national siege. In 1990, Fidel Castro delivered a speech to the Federation of Cuban Women in which he stated that the "special period in times of war" had been studied in
300-439: A bus could take three hours, power outages could last up to sixteen hours, food consumption was cut back to one-fifth of its previous level and the average Cuban lost about nine kilograms, or 20 pounds. The average daily dietary energy consumption of Cuban citizens during the periods of 1990–92 and 1995–97 were 2720 and 2440 kcal/person/day respectively. By 2003, average caloric intake had risen to 3280 kcal/person/day. According to
400-640: A focus on education, healthcare, centralized economic planning, and the mass mobilization of the population. The ideological changes of the Special Period had effects on Cuban society and culture, beyond those on the country. A comprehensive review of these effects concerning ideology, art and popular culture can be found in Ariana Hernandez-Reguant 's Cuba in the Special Period . As a result of increased travel and tourism , popular culture developed in new ways. Lisa Knauer , in that volume, describes
500-469: A poor economy, there were many crumbling buildings that could not be repaired. These were torn down and the empty lots lay idle for years until the food shortages forced Cuban citizens to make use of every piece of land. Initially, this was an ad-hoc process where ordinary Cubans took the initiative to grow their own food in any available piece of land. The government encouraged this practice and later assisted in promoting it. Urban gardens sprang up throughout
600-458: A result of these transnational exchanges. In recent years, that is, not in the 1990s which is the period identified with the Special Period, reggaeton has replaced timba as the genre of choice among youth, taking on the explicitly sexual dance moves that originated with timba. Whereas timba music was a Cuban genre that evolved out of traditional song and jazz, emphasizing blackness and sexuality through sensual dancing and lyrics that reflected
700-535: A series of laws to enact the production of Silver certificates (Certificado De Plata). Cuban silver certificates were designed, engraved, and printed by the US Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing from 1934 to 1949 and circulated in Cuba between 1935 and the early 1950s. The eight series of notes were dated 1934, 1936, 1936A, 1938, 1943, 1945, 1948, and 1949 and ranged from one peso to 100 pesos. A Cuban representative
800-457: A stoppage in oil exports from the former Eastern Bloc . In response, the Cuban government implemented a series of austerity policies. The Cuban government eliminated 15 ministries, and cut defense spending by 86%. During this time, the government maintained and increased spending on various forms of welfare , such as healthcare and social services. From 1990 to 1994, the share of gross domestic product spent on healthcare increased 13%, and
900-566: A well-known merchant and determined to be genuine. The specifications of the Spanish dollar became a standard for trade in the Far East, with later Western powers issuing trade dollars , and colonial currencies such as the Hong Kong dollar , to the same specifications. The first Chinese yuan coins had the same specification as a Spanish dollar, leading to a continuing equivalence in some respects between
1000-521: Is a silver coin of approximately 38 mm (1.5 in) diameter worth eight Spanish reales . It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content 25.563 g (0.8219 ozt) fine silver. It was widely used as the first international currency because of its uniformity in standard and milling characteristics. Some countries countermarked the Spanish dollar so it could be used as their local currency. Because
1100-434: Is imported from abroad. Initially, this was a very difficult situation for Cubans to accept; many came home from studying abroad to find that there were no jobs in their fields. It was pure survival that motivated them to continue and contribute to survive through this crisis. The documentary, The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil , states that today, farmers make more money than most other occupations. Due to
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#17328520778711200-750: Is the only valid currency after the 2021 monetary unification when the convertible peso was retired. In 1985, the Banco Nacional de Cuba issued foreign exchange certificates in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos (not equivalent to the CUP). After 1994 these were replaced by the CUC or the convertible peso. From 1994 to 2020 the Banco Nacional de Cuba and Banco Central de Cuba issued CUC banknotes in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos. These CUC banknotes co-circulated with CUP banknotes, but despite
1300-655: The 1961 monetary reform , and 0.9 SUR (90 kopeks of the new ruble) afterward). Foreign exchange was a government monopoly under the socialist planned economy and could not be bought by the general public using Cuban pesos. Foreign currencies were therefore exchanged for coins of the Instituto Nacional de Turismo (INTUR) from 1981 to 1989 and for foreign exchange certificates of the Banco Nacional de Cuba from 1985. These coins or certificates were then used by visitors to buy some luxury goods not available for purchase in
1400-489: The Australian government . Downtown Havana kiosks provided advice and resources for individual residents. Widespread farmers' markets gave easy access to locally grown produce; less travel time required less energy use. During the Special Period, Cuba experienced a period of widespread food insecurity . In academic circles, there is debate over whether such insecurity constitutes a famine . The primary cause of this
1500-486: The Cuban government . The Cuban government was also forced to contract out more lucrative economic and tourism deals with various Western European and South American nations in an attempt to earn the foreign currency necessary to replace the lost Soviet petroleum via the international markets. Additionally faced with a near-elimination of imported steel and other ore -based supplies, Cuba closed refineries and factories across
1600-506: The Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan , were initially based on the Spanish dollar and other 8-real coins. Most theories trace the origin of the "$ " symbol , which originally had two vertical bars, to the pillars of Hercules wrapped in ribbons that appear on the reverse side of the Spanish dollar. The term peso was used in Spanish to refer to this denomination, and it became the basis for many of
1700-512: The National Bank of Cuba ( Banco Nacional de Cuba ) issued notes for 1, 2, 5 and 50 pesos. However, the 1905 banknotes were not issued (source: Pick's catalog) In 1934, the Government introduced silver certificates ( certificados de plata ) in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pesos, followed by 100 pesos in 1936 and 500 and 1000 pesos in 1944. During the latter half of 1933, Cuba passed
1800-633: The New York Stock Exchange converted first to pricing in sixteenths of a dollar on 24 June 1997, and then in 2001 to decimal pricing. Long tied to the lore of piracy , "pieces of eight" were manufactured in the Spanish Americas and transported in bulk back to Spain, making them a very tempting target for seagoing pirates. In the Far East , it also arrived in the form of the Philippine peso in
1900-781: The Philippines as part of the Spanish East Indies of the Spanish colonial empire through the Manila galleons that transported Mexican silver peso to Manila in the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade , where it would be exchanged for Philippine and Chinese goods , since silver was the only foreign commodity China would accept. In Oriental trade, Spanish dollars were often stamped with Chinese characters known as "chop marks" which indicated that particular coin had been assayed by
2000-486: The Special Period from 2000, however, also made possible the revival of features of the socialist planned economy , which involved the distribution of subsidized goods to the public, supported by a system of artificially pegged exchange rates; for instance: Among the effects of this complicated system of exchange rates and subsidies were as follows: This complicated system of multi-track exchange rates and markets, and
2100-690: The Special Period in the Time of Peace ( Período especial en tiempos de paz ), was an extended period of economic crisis in Cuba that began in 1991 primarily due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Comecon . The economic depression of the Special Period was at its most severe in the early to mid-1990s. Things improved towards the end of the decade once Hugo Chávez 's Venezuela emerged as Cuba's primary trading partner and diplomatic ally, and especially after
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#17328520778712200-478: The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that daily nutritional intake fell from 3,052 calories (12,770 kJ) per day in 1989 to 2,099 calories (8,780 kJ) per day in 1993. Other reports indicate even lower figures, 1,863 calories (7,790 kJ) per day. Some estimates indicate that the very old and children consumed only 1,450 calories (6,100 kJ) per day. FAO statistics show that
2300-696: The socialist Hugo Chávez was elected president in 1998. From the start of the crisis to 1995, Cuba saw its gross domestic product shrink 35%, and it took another five years for it to reach pre-crisis levels, comparable to the length seen during the Great Recession in the United States , and five years shorter than the time it took in Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union . Agricultural production fell 47%, construction fell by 75%, and manufacturing capacity fell 90%. Much of this decline stemmed from
2400-561: The "Day Zero" implementation of monetary unification by several years, until the drying up of foreign exchange reserves in 2020 due to the absence of tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns made the further sale of subsidized dollars and goods unaffordable to the state. On 10 December 2020, it was announced that "Day Zero" of monetary unification would occur on 1 January 2021, with a single official exchange rate of 24 CUP/USD applying to state companies and private individuals alike, and with
2500-597: The 15th to the 19th centuries the coin was minted with several different designs at various mints in Spain and the New World , having gained wide acceptance beyond Spain's borders. Thanks to the vast silver deposits that were found mainly in Potosí in modern-day Bolivia and to a lesser extent in Mexico (for example, at Taxco and Zacatecas ), and to silver from Spain's possessions throughout
2600-871: The 16th century: the Burgundian Cross Thaler ( Bourgondrische Kruisdaalder ), the German-inspired Rijksdaalder , and the Dutch lion dollar ( leeuwendaalder ). The latter coin was used for Dutch trade in the Middle East, in the Dutch East Indies and West Indies, and in the Thirteen Colonies of North America. For the English North American colonists, however, the Spanish peso or "piece of eight" has always held first place, and this coin
2700-482: The 19th century when the peso was divided into 100 centavos. However, monetary turbulence in Spain beginning under the reign of King Philip II resulted in the dollar being subdivided as follows in Spain only: Spain's adoption of the peseta in 1869 and its joining the Latin Monetary Union meant the effective end of the last vestiges of the Spanish dollar in Spain itself. However, the 5-peseta coin (or duro )
2800-447: The 19th century, with the peso at 27.07 grams (0.955 oz) of 0.9028 fine silver, and the escudo at 3.383 grams (0.1193 oz) of 0.875 fine gold. The Mexican peso or 8-real coin continued to be a popular international trading coin throughout the 19th century. After 1918, the peso was reduced in size and fineness, with further reductions in the 1940s and 1950s. However, 2- (1921), 5- (1947) and 10-peso (1955) coins were minted during
2900-485: The 21st century. Power cuts were scheduled evenly during the Special Period, reflecting the Cuban government's view that electricity should be evenly distributed across the population. During the Special Period, indicators of Cuban health showed a mixed impact. The Cuban health system was impaired. However, unlike Russia, which saw a significant drop in life expectancy during the 1990s, Cuba actually saw an increase, from 75.0 years in 1990 to 75.6 years in 1999. During
3000-670: The Americas, mints in Mexico and Peru also began to strike the coin. The main New World mints for Spanish dollars were at Potosí , Lima , and Mexico City (with minor mints at Bogotá , Popayán , Guatemala City , and Santiago ), and silver dollars from these mints could be distinguished from those minted in Spain by the Pillars of Hercules design on the reverse. The dollar or peso was divided into 8 reales in Spanish Latin America until
3100-859: The Banco Central de Cuba introduced bi-metallic 5 pesos coin (the difference is the denomination and composition (with a cupronickel ring and a brass center plug). Coins currently in common circulation are 5 and 20 centavos and 1, 3 and 5 pesos; 1 and 2 centavo coins are rarely seen (due to their tiny value) but are still valid. Between 1988 and 1989, the National Institute of Tourism ( Instituto Nacional de Turismo , "INTUR") issued "Visitors' Coinage" for use by tourists. In 1981, cupro-nickel 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos and 1 peso were introduced, followed in 1988 by aluminium 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos. The INTUR coins were demonetized on October 15, 2001 and were replaced by convertible pesos (CUC). The convertible peso
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3200-623: The Barber dimes, quarters, half-dollars for the US. The coins were minted at the US mint at Philadelphia. The gold coins and 2 centavos were not produced after 1916, with the large star design 1 peso ceasing production in 1934. A new silver peso showing a woman, representing the Cuban Republic, beneath a star (the " ABC peso") was issued from 1934 to 1939. Finally, a centennial of Jose Marti commemorative peso (also minted in 50, 25, and 1 centavos denominations)
3300-557: The British colonies to mean a piece of eight or a Spanish-American dollar, because Spanish gold and silver coins were irregularly shaped and crudely struck before the machine-milled dollar was introduced in 1732. After the introduction of the Guldengroschen in Austria in 1486, the concept of a large silver coin with high purity (sometimes known as "specie" coinage) eventually spread throughout
3400-595: The Cuban Convertible Peso to be retired and exchanged at the rate of 24 CUP/CUC until the end of 2021. While technically described as a devaluation from the official 1 CUP/USD used in government and state business books, for the public it was viewed as state enterprises merely catching up to the reality of 24 CUP/USD that had always existed in the private sector. During 2021, due to a shortage in foreign currency, it became difficult or impossible for private individuals and businesses to exchange CUP for hard currency at
3500-716: The Cuban diet. In a shift notable for being generally anathema to Latin American food habits, the people of the island by necessity adopted diets higher in fiber , fresh produce, and ultimately more vegan in character. No longer needing sugar as desperately for a cash crop —the oil-for-sugar program the Soviets had contracted with Cuba had, of course, dissipated—Cuba hurriedly diversified its agricultural production, utilizing former cane fields to grow consumables such as oranges and other fruit and vegetables. The Cuban government also focused more intensely on cooperation with Venezuela once
3600-472: The Cuban opposition could come to asserting itself decisively. In response to the Maleconazo, Raúl Castro reinstated farmers markets. In these markets, farmers could sell surplus produce to the state to fulfill quotas. Though farmers were now incentivized to turn a profit on their crops, the markets they participated in were still heavily regulated and taxed. This, along with the price restrictions, ensured that
3700-481: The Cuban peso co-circulated with the Cuban convertible peso (ISO 4217 code "CUC"; colloquially pronounced "kook" in contrast to the CUP, often pronounced "koop"), which was convertible to and fixed against the U.S. dollar, and which was generally available to the public at a rate of US$ 1 = CUC 1 = CUP 25. State enterprises under the socialist planned economy , though, were entitled to exchange CUPs into CUCs and U.S. dollars at
3800-406: The Cuban peso lost much of its value with its free market exchange rate plunging to as low as 125 CUP/USD. In 1994 the Cuban convertible peso (CUC) was introduced at par with the US dollar and circulated alongside it. Partial revival of economic confidence then stabilized the Cuban peso to 23-25 CUPs to the CUC or USD, leading to the eventual fixing of exchange rates to US$ 1 = CUC 1 = CUP 25, which
3900-546: The Dominican Republic, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. In the 16th century, Count Hieronymus Schlick of Bohemia began minting a silver coin known as a Joachimsthaler , named after Joachimsthal , the valley in the Ore Mountains where the silver was mined. Joachimsthaler was later shortened to thaler or taler , a word that eventually found its way into many European languages including
4000-555: The FAO, the average minimum daily energy requirement is about 1,800 kilocalories (7,500 kJ) per person. Thousands of Cubans protested in Havana on 5 August 1994, some chanting " Libertad! " ("Freedom!"). The protest, in which some protesters threw rocks at police, was dispersed by the police after a few hours. A paper published in the Journal of Democracy argued that this was the closest that
4100-574: The King of Spain in those coins, as his face resembled that of images of the Buddha (佛 in Chinese); and the "zhù" part of those names referred to the two pillars in the Spanish coat of arms . In modern pop culture and fiction, pieces of eight are most often associated with the popular notion of pirates . Special Period The Special Period (Spanish: Período especial ), officially
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4200-569: The Spanish tálero and English as dollar . The Joachimsthaler weighed 451 Troy grains (29.2 g; 0.94 ozt) of silver. These coins' success led to similar thaler s being minted in Burgundy and France and their ultimate succession by the long-lived Reichsthaler of the Holy Roman Empire , used from the 16th to 19th centuries, of 25.984 g (0.8354 ozt) pure silver. The Netherlands also introduced its own dollars in
4300-502: The Spanish dollar was widely used in Europe, the Americas, and the Far East, it became the first world currency by the 16th century. The Spanish dollar was the coin upon which the original United States dollar was based (at 0.7735 troy ounces or 24.06 grams), and it remained legal tender in the United States until the Coinage Act of 1857 . Many other currencies around the world, such as
4400-488: The Special Period resulted in increased levels of physical activity and decreased obesity levels. A paper in the American Journal of Epidemiology , says that "during 1997–2002, there were declines in deaths attributed to diabetes (51%), coronary heart disease (35%), stroke (20%), and all causes (18%). An outbreak of neuropathy and a modest increase in the all-cause death rate among the elderly were also observed." This
4500-485: The Special Period, child mortality rates also dropped. One researcher from Johns Hopkins described the Special Period as "the first, and probably the only, natural experiment, born of unfortunate circumstances, where large effects on diabetes, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality have been related to sustained population-wide weight loss as a result of increased physical activity and reduced caloric intake". The changes to travel patterns and food consumption during
4600-582: The Treasury. Initially this dollar was comparable to the 371–373 grains found in circulating Spanish dollars and aided in its exportation overseas. The restoration of the old 0.9028 fineness in the Mexican peso after 1821, however, increased the latter's silver content to 24.44 g and reduced the export demand for U.S. dollars. Before the American Revolution , owing to British mercantilist policies, there
4700-432: The average daily dietary energy consumption of Cuban citizens during the periods of 1990–92 and 1995–97 were 2720 and 2440 kcal/person/day respectively. By 2003 average caloric intake had risen to 3280 kcal/person/day. According to the United States Department of Agriculture , the recommended minimum ranges from 2,100 to 2,300 kcal/person/day Immediate actions taken by the government included televising an announcement of
4800-425: The beginning of the 20th century. Beginning in 1986, Cuba underwent a series of economic reforms known as the "Rectification process", that aimed at heavily regulating private businesses, and ending free markets in Cuba. The reforms were conducted in reaction against reforms in the Soviet Union, like Perestroika . The Cuban economy faced a decline in production after the implementation of the reforms. The idea of
4900-444: The capital of Havana and other urban centers on roof-tops, patios, and unused parking lots in raised beds as well as "squatting" on empty lots. These efforts were furthered by Australian specialists who were invited to the island in 1993 to teach permaculture , a sustainable agricultural system, and to " train the trainers ", establishing a long-running NGO partnerships program of community engagement and capacity building funded by
5000-661: The changeover was announced on August 4, and only residents in Cuba were allowed to exchange small amounts on August 6 and 7. The three-peso note was introduced in 1983. In 1997, the functions of Banco Nacional as a central bank, including issuing notes and coins, were transferred to a newly created entity, the Central Bank of Cuba . This is the Cuban centre of economics. The 1961 bank notes were demonetized on May 1, 2002. 200, 500, and 1000 peso notes were (re-)introduced in 2015. Banknotes currently in circulation are 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 pesos. This banknote series
5100-441: The circulation of rumba between New York and Havana, and their mutual influences. Antonio Eligio Tonel has described the contemporary art networks that shaped the Cuban art market, and Esther Whitfield the channels through which Cuban literature accessed the wider Spanish-speaking world during that period. Elsewhere, Deborah Pacini , Marc Perry , Geoffrey Baker and Sujatha Fernandes extensively wrote about Cuban rap music as
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#17328520778715200-411: The coins out of the colony, and to double their number, the centres of the coins were punched out. The punched centre, known as the "dump", was valued at 15 pence , and the outer rim, known as the " holey dollar ", was worth five shillings . This was indicated by overstamping the two new coins. The obverse of the holey dollar was stamped the words "New South Wales" and the date, 1813, and the reverse with
5300-520: The cost of goods would not escalate as it did in the 1980s. During the early years of the crisis, United States law allowed humanitarian aid in the form of food and medicine by private groups. Then in March 1996, the Helms–Burton Act imposed further penalties on foreign companies doing business in Cuba, and allowed U.S. citizens to sue foreign investors who use American-owned property seized by
5400-623: The country, eliminating the country's industrial arm and millions of jobs. The government then proceeded to replace these lost jobs with employment in industrial agriculture and other homegrown initiatives, but these jobs often did not pay as well, and Cubans on the whole became economically poorer. Alternative transport, most notably the Cuban "camels", immense 18-wheeler tractor trailers retrofitted as passenger buses meant to carry hundreds of Cubans each, flourished. Food-wise, meat and dairy products, having been extremely fossil fuel dependent in their former factory farming methods, soon diminished in
5500-521: The currencies in the former Spanish viceroyalties, including the Argentine , Bolivian , Chilean , Colombian , Costa Rican , Cuban , Dominican , Ecuadorian , Guatemalan , Honduran , Mexican , Nicaraguan , Paraguayan , Philippine , Puerto Rican , Peruvian , Salvadoran , Uruguayan , and Venezuelan pesos. Of these, "peso" remains the name of the official currency in the Philippines, Mexico, Cuba,
5600-460: The development of squatters camps in the city. These squatters, offensively termed "Palestinos" in homage to Palestinian refugees , were officially denied welfare rights because they had no formal home address. Cubans were accustomed to cars as a convenient mode of transport. It was a difficult shift during the Special Period to adjust to a new way of managing the transport of thousands of people to school, to work and to other daily activities. With
5700-480: The event of a total U.S. blockade of Cuba, and that if serious problems in the Soviet Union led to a disruption of oil supplies, it would lead to a "special period in times of peace". As instability increased in the Soviet Union, later in 1990 Castro stated that Cuba was now entering that special period in time of peace. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed , resulting in a large-scale economic collapse throughout
5800-454: The expected energy crisis a week before the USSR notified the Cuban government that they would not be delivering the expected quota of crude oil . Citizens were asked to reduce their consumption in all areas and to use public transport and carpooling . As time went on, the administration developed more structured strategies to manage the long-term energy/economic crisis as it stretched into
5900-401: The first coins were issued. In 1960, the peso lost value after the United States imposed an embargo against Cuba and the suspended sugar quota. Fidel Castro then introduced the socialist planned economy to Cuba with the Soviet Union as its new economic partner, and the Cuban peso was pegged to the Soviet ruble at the same exchange rate as with the US dollar (i.e. at 4 old rubles before
6000-446: The huge 25:1 ratio in their values, they were distinguishable by the fact that CUC notes featured monuments, while CUP notes featured portraits. Commercial bank exchange rates are published on their Facebook page by the Cuban bank, Banco Metropolitano. Spanish dollar The Spanish dollar , also known as the piece of eight ( Spanish : real de a ocho , dólar , peso duro , peso fuerte or peso ),
6100-552: The inequalities and rent-seeking it spawned, had long been a source of frustration alike to government bureaucrats and to a disgruntled public. In October 2013, the government announced its intention to abolish this multiple exchange rate system and to phase out the CUC. While detailed preparations and new rules were underway, many businesses started to accept both CUPs and CUCs at the rate of CUC 1 = CUP 25, and higher-value banknotes of CUP 200, 500 and 1000 were introduced. Fears over its financial fallout on state companies, however, delayed
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#17328520778716200-494: The informal market. Before 1857, Spanish and Spanish colonial reales circulated in Cuba. From 1857, banknotes were issued specifically for use on Cuba. These were denominated in pesos, with each peso worth 8 reales. From 1869, decimal notes were also issued denominated in centavos, with 100 centavos for each peso. In 1881, the peso was pegged to the US dollar at par. The currency continued to be issued only in paper form until 1915, when
6300-504: The island by the USSR; this resulted in a decrease in Cuban consumption by 20% of its previous level within two years. The effect of this was severe, with many Cuban industries being unable to run without petroleum. Entirely dependent on fossil fuels to operate, the major underpinnings of Cuban society—its transport, industrial and agricultural systems—were paralyzed. There were extensive losses of productivity in both Cuban agriculture , which
6400-572: The last silver coins issued for circulation. The last US produced coin was the 1961 five centavo piece. In 1962, cupro-nickel 20 and 40 centavos were introduced, followed, in 1963, by aluminium 1 and 5 centavos. In 1969, aluminium 20 centavos were introduced, followed by aluminium 2 centavos and brass 1 peso in 1983. Cupro-nickel 3 peso coins were introduced in 1990, with brass-plated-steel 1 peso and nickel-clad-steel 3 peso coins following in 1992. 40 centavo coins were withdrawn from circulation around July 2004 and are no longer accepted as payment. In 2017,
6500-683: The name of the Republic of Cuba in denominations of 50 centavos, 1, 5, 10, 50, 500 and 1000 pesos. In 1872, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavo, and 1 and 3 peso notes were introduced by the Banco Español de la Habana. In 1891, the Treasury issued notes for 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pesos. In 1896, the name of the bank was changed to the Banco Español de la Isla de Cuba , and it issued notes in denominations of 5 and 50 centavos and 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 pesos, followed by 10 and 20 centavos in 1897. In 1905,
6600-538: The names "yuan" and "dollar" in the Chinese language. Other currencies also derived from the dollar include the Japanese yen , Korean won , Philippine peso , Malaysian ringgit , French Indochinese piastre , etc. since it was widely traded across the Far East in the East Indies and the East Asia . Contemporary names used for Spanish dollars in Qing dynasty China include běnyáng (本洋), shuāngzhù (双柱), zhùyáng (柱洋), fóyáng (佛洋), fótóu (佛頭), fóyín (佛銀), and fótóuyín (佛頭銀). The "fó" element in those Chinese names referred to
6700-411: The national currency. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 resulted in a difficult Special Period of economic adjustments which required the acquisition of foreign exchange in order to pay for petroleum and other imported goods which used to be easily procured from Cuba's former benefactor. In 1993, the U.S. dollar was made legal tender to encourage much-needed hard currency to enter the economy, and
6800-427: The newly independent states which once comprised it. During its existence, the Soviet Union provided Cuba with large amounts of oil , food, and machinery. In the years following the Soviet Union's collapse, Cuba's gross domestic product shrank 35%, imports and exports both fell over 80%, and many domestic industries shrank considerably. Food and weapon imports stopped or severely slowed. The largest immediate impact
6900-403: The octagonal shape visible in the outer round rim of all CUC coins. Under the Spanish Administration, the Banco Español de la Habana introduced Cuba's first issue of banknotes in 1857 in denominations of 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1,000 dollars. The 25 peso denomination was introduced in 1867, and the 5 and 10 peso denominations in 1869. During the Ten Years' War , notes were issued dated 1869 in
7000-558: The official exchange rate of 24 CUP/USD. Demand for hard currency drove a black market in currency exchange, with US$ 1 being worth around 100 CUP by January 2022. The price of one U.S. dollar first reached 200 CUP in October 2022, and 300 CUP in February 2024. In 1897 and 1898, pesos were issued by revolutionary forces promoting independence. In 1915, cupro-nickel 1, 2 and 5 centavos, silver 10, 20 and 40 centavos and 1 peso, and gold 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20 peso coins were introduced. These coins were designed by Charles E. Barber, who also designed
7100-560: The official, subsidized rate of US$ 1 = CUC 1 = CUP 1, within prescribed limits. From 1 January 2021 Cuba implemented the so-called "Day Zero" of monetary unification which abolished the Cuban convertible peso as well as the 1 CUP/USD rate for state enterprises. Henceforth the Cuban Peso became the only legal tender in Cuba, CUCs were converted at the rate of 24 CUP/CUC, and a single official exchange rate of 24 CUP/USD became applicable for both public and private transactions. However, demand for hard currency made these exchange rates unavailable in
7200-528: The ones that caused a famine in North Korea in the mid-1990s because both countries were run by authoritarian regimes that denied ordinary people the food to which they were entitled when the public food distribution collapsed and priority was given to the elite classes and the military." Other reports painted an equally dismal picture, describing Cubans having to resort to eating anything they could find, from Havana Zoo animals to domestic cats. Food rationing
7300-443: The ones that caused a famine in North Korea in the mid-1990s. Both countries were run by authoritarian regimes that denied ordinary people the food to which they were entitled when the public food distribution collapsed; priority was given to the elite classes and the military. In North Korea, 3%–5% of the population died; in Cuba the death rate among the elderly increased by 20% from 1982 to 1993". The cost of producing cement and
7400-614: The only recognised form of currency and ended any legitimate use of the holey dollar and dump in the Australian colonies. The Coinage Act of 1792 created the United States Mint and initially defined the United States dollar at par with the Spanish dollar due to its international reputation: By far the leading specie coin circulating in America was the Spanish silver dollar, defined as consisting of 387 grains of pure silver. The dollar
7500-408: The population's enthusiasm for socialism. The effort for ideological revitalization began after Elián González 's return, because his return was seen as a breakthrough diplomatic success, after years of crisis and internal decline. Castro announced a "Battle of Ideas" that attempted to emphasize human development, deemphasize economic growth, and return to the ideological spirit of the 1960s. This meant
7600-414: The realization that food was the key to survival, transport became a secondary worry and walking, hitch-hiking , and carpooling became the norm. Privately owned vehicles are not common; ownership is not seen as a right but as a privilege awarded for performance. Public transport is creative and takes on the following forms: Popular disillusionment in the economy inspired the Cuban government to revitalize
7700-439: The rest of Europe. Monetary reform in Spain brought about the introduction of an 8-real (or 1-peso) coin in 1497, minted to the following standards- This was supplemented in 1537 by the gold escudo , minted at 68 to a mark of gold 0.917 fine (fineness reduced to 0.906 in 1742 and 0.875 in 1786). It was valued at 15–16 reales or approximately 2 dollars. The famed Gold Doubloon was worth 2 escudos or approximately 4 dollars. From
7800-476: The same period with sizes and fineness similar to the old peso. After the colony of New South Wales was founded in Australia in 1788, it ran into the problem of a lack of coinage, particularly since trading vessels took coins out of the colony in exchange for their cargo. In 1813, Governor Lachlan Macquarie made creative use of £10,000 in Spanish dollars sent by the British government. To make it difficult to take
7900-460: The scarcity of tools and of building materials increased the pressure on already overcrowded housing. Even before the energy crisis , extended families lived in small apartments (many of which were in very poor condition) to be closer to an urban area. To help alleviate this situation, the government engaged in land-distribution where they supplemented larger government-owned farms with privately owned ones. Small homes were built in rural areas and land
8000-604: The share spent on welfare increased 29%. Such policy priorities have led to historian Helen Yaffe dubbing them "humanistic austerity". Cuba's history of colonization included deforestation and overuse of its agricultural land. Before the crisis, Cuba used more pesticides than the United States. Lack of fertilizer and agricultural machinery caused a shift towards organic farming and urban farming. Cuba still has food rationing for basic staples. Approximately 69% of these rationed basic staples (wheat, vegetable oils, rice, etc.) are imported. Overall, however, approximately 16% of food
8100-483: The sixties and seventies, as it was often "tainted as music of the enemy and began to disappear from the public view." But all of that changed in the 1990s, when American rappers flocked regularly to Cuba, tourists brought CDs, and North American stations, perfectly audible in Cuba, brought its sounds. Nonetheless, hip hop circulated through informal networks, thus creating a small underground scene of rap enthusiasts located mostly in Havana's Eastern neighborhoods that called
8200-482: The socio-cultural situation of the period with humor [Hernandez-Reguant 2006], Cuban hip hop evolved as a socially conscious movement influenced heavily by its kin genre American hip-hop. Thus it was not so much a product of the Special Period—as timba was—as one of globalization [Fernandes 2004]. The Revolution and the blockage of all imports from the US had made the dissemination of American music difficult during
8300-413: The time began to distribute aid and taught their techniques to locals, who soon implemented them in fields, raised beds, and urban rooftops across the nation. Organic agriculture soon developed, supplanting the old industrialized form of agriculture Cubans had grown accustomed to. Relocalization , permaculture , and innovative modes of mass transit had to be rapidly developed. For a time, waiting for
8400-487: The words "five shillings". The obverse of the dump was stamped with a crown, the words "New South Wales" and the date, 1813, and the reverse with the words "fifteen pence". The mutilated coins became the first official currency produced specifically for circulation in Australia. The expedient was relatively short lived. The British Parliament passed the Sterling Silver Money Act in 1825, which made British coins
8500-606: The year 2000 once Cuba–Russia relations improved under the presidency of Vladimir Putin . Privations during the Special Period included extreme reductions of rationed foods at state-subsidized prices, severe energy shortages, and the shrinking of an economy forcibly overdependent on Soviet imports. The period radically transformed Cuban society and the economy, as it necessitated the introduction of organic agriculture , decreased use of automobiles, and overhauled industry, health, and diet countrywide. People were forced to live without many goods and services that had been available since
8600-502: Was a chronic shortage of British currency in Britain's colonies. Trade was often conducted with Spanish dollars that had been obtained through illicit trade with the West Indies . Spanish coinage was legal tender in the United States until the Coinage Act of 1857 discontinued the practice. The pricing of equities on U.S. stock exchanges in 1 ⁄ 8 -dollar denominations persisted until
8700-516: Was also called the "dollar" as early as 1581. After the Declaration of American Independence , the United States dollar was introduced in 1792 at par with this coin at 371.25 grains = 0.7735 troy ounces = 24.0566 g. Alexander Hamilton arrived at these numbers based on a treasury assay of the average fine silver content of a selection of worn Spanish dollars. The term cob was used in Ireland and
8800-444: Was also divided into 100 centavos. In 1994, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos and 1 peso in nickel-plated steel. The rare bimetallic 5-peso coin was introduced in 1999, followed by the 1-centavo coin in 2000. These CUC coins co-circulated with CUP coins, with both types of coin distinguishable by differences in their color (mostly nickel-plated steel for CUCs, versus aluminum or brass for CUPs) as well as
8900-526: Was available to the public from 2004-2005 and then from 2011-2020 through Cadecas ( Casas de Cambio , or Bureau de Change ; an exchange rate of 1.08 USD/CUC applied from 2005-2011). In 2004, the CUC replaced the U.S. dollar as a legal tender. The CUC was pegged to the dollar. From 2004 to 2020 a 10% penalty or tax was applied when changing U.S. dollars to CUCs, which can be avoided by exchanging other currencies in Cadecas . The revival of economic stability after
9000-537: Was caused by how the population tried to reduce the energy store without reducing the nutritional value of the food. A letter published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal ( CMAJ ) criticized the American Journal of Epidemiology for not taking all factors into account and says that "the famine in Cuba during the Special Period was caused by political and economic factors similar to
9100-576: Was divided into "pieces of eight," or "bits," each consisting of one-eighth of a dollar. Spanish dollars came into the North American colonies through lucrative trade with the West Indies. The Spanish silver dollar had been the world's outstanding coin since the early 16th century, and was spread partially by dint of the vast silver output of the Spanish colonies in Latin America. More important, however,
9200-469: Was dominated by modern industrial tractors , combines , and harvesters , all of which required petroleum to run , and in Cuban industrial capacity. The early stages of the Special Period were defined by a general breakdown in transportation and agricultural sectors, fertilizer and pesticide stocks (both of those being manufactured primarily from petroleum derivatives), and widespread food shortages. Australian and other permaculturists arriving in Cuba at
9300-587: Was intensified. Monthly allocations for families were based under the basic minimum requirements as recommended by the United Nations . Nutrition dropped from 3,052 calories a day in 1989 to 2,099 calories a day in 1993 with some reports even lower, 1,863 calories a day. The recommended minimum is 2100-2300 calories daily. A plethora of research shows that the Special Period resulted in a decrease in caloric intake among Cuban citizens. One study estimates that caloric intake fell by 27% from 1990 to 1996. A report by
9400-655: Was on-site in Washington DC to consult and approve designs. In 1949, the Banco Nacional de Cuba resumed paper money production, introducing notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 20 pesos that year, followed by notes in denominations of 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 10,000 pesos in 1950. Denominations above 100 pesos were not continued. With the introduction of a socialist planned economy , the Banco Nacional demonetised all previous banknotes on August 7, 1961, and replaced them with new banknotes that were printed in Czechoslovakia :
9500-458: Was produced in 1953. Brass 1 and 5 centavos were issued in 1943, and with copper nickel composition sporadically from 1915 to 1958. Beginning in 1915, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 40 centavos coins were occasionally minted. The last 10, 20, and 40 centavo coins were produced in 1952; these were commemorative issues celebrating the fiftieth year of the republic. As mentioned above, in 1953, silver 25 and 50 centavos commemorative coins were also issued. These were
9600-593: Was provided to encourage families to move, to assist in food production for themselves, and to sell in local farmers' markets. As the film The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil discusses, co-ops developed which were owned and managed by groups, as well as creating opportunities for allowing them to form "service co-ops" where credit was exchanged and group purchasing-power was used to buy seeds and other scarce items. Many Cubans from outside Havana began migrating to Havana in search of tourism jobs which provided American dollars. This rush to Havana resulted in
9700-439: Was slightly smaller and lighter but was also of high purity (90%) silver. In the 1990s, commemorative 2,000-peseta coins were minted, similar in size and weight to the dollar. Following independence in 1821, Mexican coinage of silver reales and gold escudos followed that of Spanish lines until decimalization and the introduction of the peso worth 8 reales or 100 centavos. It continued to be minted to Spanish standards throughout
9800-492: Was that the Spanish dollar, from the 16th to the 19th century, was relatively the most stable and least debased coin in the Western world. The Coinage Act of 1792 specified that the U.S. dollar would contain 371.25 grains (24.057 g) pure or 416 grains (26.96 g) standard silver. This specification was based on the average weight of a random selection of worn Spanish dollars which Alexander Hamilton ordered to be weighed at
9900-411: Was the collapse of the Soviet Union , who exported large quantities of cheap food to Cuba. In the absence of such food imports, food prices in Cuba increased, while government-run institutions began offering less food, and food of lower quality. A Canadian Medical Association Journal paper claimed, "The famine in Cuba during the Special Period was caused by political and economic factors similar to
10000-522: Was the loss of nearly all of the petroleum imports from the Soviet Union; Cuba's oil imports dropped to 10% of pre-1990 amounts. Before this, Cuba had been re-exporting any Soviet petroleum it did not consume to other nations for profit, meaning that petroleum had been Cuba's second largest export product before 1990. Once the restored Russian Federation emerged from the former Soviet Union, its administration immediately made clear that it had no intention of delivering petroleum that had been guaranteed to
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