Postage stamps and postal history of Cuba facts for kids
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Cuba.
Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean Sea. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital.
First stamps and postal stationery
The first stamps of Cuba were joint issues with Puerto Rico, issued in April, 1855. These stamps are referred to as the "Antilles". At first, Isabella II had her portrait on all regular issues until her abdication in 1868. Cuba had separate stamps from 1873. Postage stamps continued to be labeled only "ULTRAMAR" (overseas) until the word CUBA appeared for the first time in 1877. The portrait of Alfonso XII adorned the stamps from 1876 until 1880, some three years after his posthumously born successor, Alfonso XIII, assumed the throne under Regency status, and had his portrait instead. This depicted a baby whose hairline was considerably receded and thus earned the irreverent nickname of el pelón (baldie). Finally, in 1898, a youth with tousled hair appears.
Postal cards for Cuba were printed in Spain and sent to their colonies in 1878. With the war of independence for Cuba, the United States intervened from 1898 to 1902. At that time, stamped envelopes and newspaper wrappers became available to the residents of Cuba.
Cuban Republic stamps
The Cuban government of the República de Cuba issued stamps from its inception in 1902 until Fidel Castro assumed control on January 1, 1959. The first issue was on September 30, 1902. There were no stamps yet printed by Cuba, but they had many of the little used 3¢ allegory stamps of 1899. They choose to overprint these stamps to meet the 1¢ postal rate demand by overprinting a large numeral "1" on each stamp with the legend "UN CENTAVO" "HABILITADO" and "OCTUBRE 1902". Cubans continued to use the allegory stamps of 1899. In 1905, four of the five regular rate allegory stamps were reprinted for Cuba in the United States, but this time the printer made minute changes in each of the stamps before the reprint so as to make them distinguishable.
The last stamps of the Republic before the revolution were the Christmas 2¢ and 4¢ issues of December 16, 1958. Judging by the Scott catalog numbers, the Republic had issued 380 different regular postage stamps, 194 airmail, 27 special delivery, 34 postal tax, and 10 postage due stamps.
Castro era
With the coming of the Castro era, the stamps of Cuba proliferated in number. Topical stamps abound, as do postal cards. About thirty aerograms have been produced. The postal stationery Mother's Day cards number have been produced in numbers of 20 or more per year and now number in the hundreds.
Images for kids
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An 1855 stamp depicting the portrait of Isabel II.
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Cuban allegory stamps of 1871 produced after the abdication of Isabel II. The denomination is 25 céntimos de peseta, a new valuation that lasted until 1881 when centavos de peso was finally established.
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The 1898 provisional "Puerto Príncipe" overprint.
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A 1910 stamp of Cuba.
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An 1873 stamp depicting King Amadeo I.
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An 1878 stamp depicting King Alfonso XII.
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An 1891 stamp depicting King Alfonso XIII as a baby.
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An 1898 stamp depicting King Alfonso XIII.
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The first Cuban postal card of 1878 bearing the portrait of King Alfonso XII.
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Cuban newspaper stamps of 1896 with el pelón portrait of Alfonso XIII.
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Provisional overprint for Cuba, 1899.
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Provisional overprint for Cuba, 1899.
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Provisional overprint for Cuba, 1899.
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Provisional overprint for Cuba, 1899.
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Provisional overprint for Cuba, 1899.
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Provisional special delivery overprint for Cuba, 1899.
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An 1899 stamp depicting Columbus.
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An 1899 stamp depicting the Cuban royal palms.
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An 1899 stamp depicting the personification of Cuba.
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An 1899 stamp featuring a steamship.
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An 1899 stamp featuring a field plowed by oxen.
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An 1899 special delivery stamp featuring a messenger on bicycle.
