Cuban 5,000-peso banknote aspires to an international design award

The Cuban 5,000-peso banknote was included among the candidates for the Banknote of the Year 2026 award, organized by the International Banknote Society (IBNS). The Central Bank of Cuba announced the nomination and considered it an unprecedented recognition for the country's numismatics, since no Cuban issue had reached that stage before. The organization, founded in 1961 and present in more than 90 countries, has been awarding the award since 2004. To choose it, it takes into account the artistic quality, composition, color and security measures of the paper money.

The piece is predominantly blue and measures 150 by 70 millimeters. On the front appear Celia Sánchez Manduley, the Cuban national flower — the butterfly — and the emblem of the Central Bank. The reverse reproduces the memorial dedicated to Sánchez, located in Lenin Park, in Havana. The banknote was printed by the Russian state company Goznak and went into circulation on April 1, 2026, first in the capital and then gradually in other areas of the country.

Among its protection resources are a watermark with Sánchez's face and the number 5000, as well as a holographic band with a window and the inscription BCC 5000. The IBNS evaluation considers both the visual presentation of the banknotes and their technical resources. The candidacy, however, only incorporates the issue into the competition and does not mean that it has already won the prize.

The 5,000-peso bill is part of a renewal of larger denominations. That same day, the 2,000-peso bill, which bears the image of Mariana Grajales Cuello, began to circulate. In September, the Central Bank expanded the series with pieces of 10,000 and 20,000 pesos, dedicated to Haydée Santamaría and Vilma Espín, respectively. The series introduced female figures on high-denomination bills.

The issuance of new denominations was related to cash needs and inflation. When the 5,000-peso bill was put into circulation, the informal exchange rate was close to 510 pesos per dollar. Higher denominations allow payments to be made with fewer pieces, but they do not in themselves raise the purchasing power of wages or stop price rises. Thus, the candidacy for its design coincides with an economic context that boosted the circulation of higher-value bills.

In addition to Cuba, the IBNS list of nominations includes banknotes from Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Honduras, Oman, the Solomon Islands, Nepal and Paraguay. Nominations can be submitted until January 31, 2027. In February, members of the organization will vote to choose the winner, whose name will be announced in April of that year. The Cuban nomination highlights a piece that combines national references with security resources.