50 Pesos 1958, Cuba
| in Krause book | Number: 81b |
| Years of issue: | 1958 |
| Edition: | -- |
| Signatures: | Presidente del Banco: Joaquin Martinez Saenz, Ministro de Hazienda: Alejandro Herrera Arango |
| Serie: | No Serie |
| Specimen of: | 1950 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 157 х 66 |
| Printer: | American Bank Note Company, New-York |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Avers:
Text throughout the field of banknote: "Banco Nacional de Cuba".
The engraving on banknote is based, presumably, after this photo of Calixto García Iñiguez.
Calixto García Iñiguez (August 4, 1839 - December 11, 1898) was a general in three Cuban uprisings, part of the Cuban War for Independence: Ten Years' War, the Little War and the War of 1895, itself sometimes called the Cuban War for Independence, which bled into the Spanish-American War, ultimately resulting in national independence for Cuba.
Around the age of 18, taking after his grandfather, García joined with a Cuban uprising which became the first war of independence Ten Years' War. García fought against Spanish colonial rule for five years until his capture. Far from his troops, protected only by a small detail who soon lay dead or dying around him, Garcia in an attempt to avoid giving the Spanish the satisfaction of his seizure shot himself under the chin with a .45 caliber pistol. Although the bullet went out of his forehead and knocked him unconscious, he survived; the wound, which left a great scar, gave him headaches for the rest of his life. When the Spanish authorities came to Holguín to inform Calixto's mother, Lucía Iñíguez, she said that wasn't her son, when the officials explained to her Calixto tried to commit suicide she replied that was her son, "first dead than captured!" He was imprisoned until the Pact of Zanjón and the end of the Ten Years' War, was signed in 1878. García travelled to Paris and New York between imprisonments. In keeping to his quest, García joined with Maceo in the Little War from 1879 to 1880 as well as the 1895 War for Independence. He, and separately at least three sons, escaped Spain and arrived with a well supplied expedition in 1896. In that last conflict he succeeded Maceo, once his subordinate in the Ten Years War, as the second in command in the Cuban Army.
This General had a long string of victories in this war including the taking of Tunas and Guisa, and the emotionally significant re-occupation of Bayamo. García made liberal use of spies to prepare his attack, these include Dominador de la Guardia father of Ángel de la Guardia and María Machado, illegitimate daughter of Spanish General Emilio March who helped prepare the taking of Tunas; Frederick Funston later US Major General and José Martí y Zayas Bazán son of José Martí the major Cuban National Hero directed artillery, Mario García Menocal a to be president of Cuba was wounded in a principal assault. Angel de la Guardia, also a major Cuban national hero died in this battle on August 30, 1897.
At the time of the U.S. landings, García, with skilled use of mobile artillery, controlled the interior of old Oriente Province, and prepared the landing places for the U.S. Army near Santiago. His troops effectively supported the Marine forces at Guantanamo who, once out of range of the guns of the USS Marblehead, had difficulty dealing with Spanish guerrilla tactics. He was the general who dealt with the American troops and joined them in military actions, only to be denied entrance into Santiago de Cuba when the Spaniards surrendered.
On right and left sides of the portrait are Laurus nobilis leafs.
Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the plants used for bay leaf seasoning in cooking. It is known as bay laurel, sweet bay, bay tree (esp. United Kingdom), true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree or simply laurel. Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture. 
On the left side is the red seal of Cuban National Bank.
Denominations in numerals and in words are on all sides of the banknote.
Revers:
The coat of arms is in center.
The Cuban Coat of Arms is the official heraldic symbol of Cuba. It consists of a shield, in front of a Fasces crowned by the Phrygian Cap, all supported by an oak branch on one side and a laurel wreath on the other. The coat of arms was created by Miguel Teurbe Tolón and was adopted on April 24, 1906.
The shield is divided into three parts:
In the chief, a key charging a blue sea between two rocks, symbolizing Cuba’s geographical position between Florida and the Yucatán Peninsula. A bright rising sun in the background symbolizes the rising of the new republic. A key is a symbol of Cuba as Cuba is the key to the Americas. On the left are the stripes of the flag of Cuba but turned so as they are bendwise. On the right is a common Cuban landscape, Royal Palm tree, a symbol of Cuba with mountains in the background.
The shield is supported by an oak branch on one side and a laurel wreath on the other. The oak branch symbolizes the strength of the nation; and the laurel wreath: honor and glory. These symbols were meant to represent the rights of man: Equality, Liberty and Fraternity.
A Phrygian Cap (Gorro Frigio) or liberty cap is located at the top, as a crown symbolizing liberty, with a sole star on it standing for independence.
Denominations are on left and right sides.
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