El ABC Weight It occupies a special place in Cuban numismatics due to the combination of history, mystery, and actual rarity surrounding certain dates in the series. Its popular nickname comes from the clandestine group SPCThe ABC, an organization founded in 1931 to fight the regime of Gerardo Machado, gained influence within the new Cuban government after the dictator's fall in 1933. Joaquín Martínez Sáenz, leader of the ABC and later Secretary of the Treasury, personally oversaw the design of these coins. Interestingly, the term "ABC Peso" was not used during the period of issuance but was popularized years later by numismatist Thomas Lismore in 1955 to acknowledge the group's political influence on the creation of the series.
Although at first glance it may seem like a relatively accessible collection, the reality of the market shows something quite different: finding original and well-preserved examples is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in high grades. Some dates stand out not only for their scarcity, but also for the stories, administrative errors, and historical events that shaped their survival to the present day.
Furthermore, these coins possess a particularly interesting historical context. They were authorized by Decree-Law No. 93 of 1934 to back the circulating “silver certificates,” maintaining a 1:1 equivalence. However, a large portion of the issue remained stored in state vaults and never officially circulated widely. Decades later, the rise in the price of silver and the loss of their monetary function led to enormous quantities being sent for melting, drastically reducing the number of surviving examples.
Precisely for this reason, the ABC Peso continues to arouse enormous interest among collectors, investors, and specialists in historical coins from Latin America.
The Cuban “ABC” Peso never officially circulated, despite being minted in millions of copies between 1934 and 1939. Most of these coins remained stored in state vaults and were melted down years later, which makes them highly sought after by collectors today.
The Peso of 1934: the appeal of the first year
The 1934 Peso holds a special place within the series because it was the first year of issue. This factor automatically generates additional interest among collectors, especially those who value historical coins with chronological significance within a monetary type.
In addition to having the lowest print run of regular circulation, the 1934 maintains a solid demand in the market due to its combination of historical importance, limited survival and visual appeal.
PCGS reports 46 certified copies to date, and one auction house recorded a sale of $3,220 USD for an MS64 copy, confirming that original, well-preserved pieces continue to be highly sought after.
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The Peso of 1936: the silent rarity
At first glance, the 1936 Peso might seem like a relatively common date because it has the highest mintage of the entire series. However, the reality of the market shows something quite different. The number of certified examples is surprisingly low, with only 33 pieces registered by PCGS.
This has led many specialists to consider 1936 one of the most underrated dates in the set. Its scarcity is not usually apparent to novice collectors, but those seeking original, high-quality coins quickly discover that this date is much harder to find than expected.
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The Weight of 1937: the great key to the series
Within the entire series, the 1937 Peso is widely considered the most difficult and important date from a numismatic point of view. Although its mintage was not the lowest, the number of surviving examples in high condition is extremely small.
The Mystery of 1937
For decades, numerous theories circulated to explain the shortage of the 1937 Peso. One of the best-known stories claims that a bag of coins broke at the dock while being loaded onto the ship "Patria," causing the loss of a significant portion of the mintage. Other versions mentioned maritime accidents, failed negotiations, or losses during transport.
However, more recent research, particularly the study “Cuban ABC Coins: Debunking Myths” (Menchaca García, 2023), dismisses these legends and points to a much more logical and documented explanation: a bureaucratic error sent virtually the entire 1937 issue to be melted down, leaving no sufficient numismatic remnants. This theory aligns very closely with the scarcity of coins currently found in the certified market.
The impact of this situation is enormous within modern Cuban numismatics. Today, finding a truly original and well-preserved 1937 Peso is considered an extremely difficult task, even for advanced collectors.
In addition, an auction house recorded a sale of $12,925 USD for an MS65 copy, a figure that perfectly reflects the level of demand and historical importance that this date has within the series.
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The ABC Peso series demonstrates how the true rarity of a coin doesn't always depend solely on its mintage, but rather on the number of examples that have actually survived in good condition to the present day. Within the series, the 1934 Peso stands out as the first year of issue and for maintaining a consistent historical appeal among collectors. However, the landscape changes dramatically with the 1936 Peso and, especially, with the 1937 Peso.
Although the 1936 Peso had the highest mintage of the entire series, its scarcity in high grades has made it one of the most underrated and difficult-to-find dates in the modern numismatic market. The 1937 Peso, on the other hand, represents the ultimate symbol of rarity in the series: a combination of extremely limited survival, minimal certified populations, and a historical context riddled with administrative errors and mass remelting that practically erased the date from the market.
That is precisely why these coins continue to generate enormous interest among collectors and specialized investors. More than just simple pieces of silver, they represent surviving fragments of one of the most interesting and complex periods in Cuban monetary history.
