CUBA: AR souvenir peso, 1897, Bruce-XM2, variety with date closely spaced and star below 97 baseline, richly toned, mintage of only 4,286 pieces, NGC graded AU55, S. In his article "The Story Behind the Cuban 1897 and the 1898 Peso, " Emilio Ortiz writes: "The year is 1897 and Cuba has been up in arms for the last two years, fighting for the third time since 1868 a war for its independence against Spain. The Cuban Revolutionary Junta in New York is headed by Don Tomas Estrada Palma, Plenipotentiary Delegate of the Republic of Cuba (in Arms) who is responsible in the U.S. for all matters related to the Cuban liberty struggle, with the raising of funds for the cause being of paramount importance. Little did these Cuban patriots know that this time around they would succeed, but only in a roundabout way." Their solution was to strike silver pesos to sell at face value to supporters of Cuban independence. While promoters planned for three million coins to be struck, just 9,965 coins were minted in 1897, mostly by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island. While not a hugely profitable endeavor for the Junta, Ortiz notes that the coins were redeemed by the Republic of Cuba after 1902, as the Junta's advertising suggested they would.

Estimate: USD 170 - 200