July 23, 2020

Explanation of Silver 1897 Cuban Souvenir Peso Varieties

Post By coinacopiastore Reference Material

How Many Varieties?

There are three recognized varieties of Silver Souvenir Pesos from 1897. In this article I will explain the differences in each and touch on different things to look for when grading/ buying these coins. 

Variety Number One "PAT. 97 on Neck / Wide Date"

Key Points
  • Krause X# M1
  • Mintage 828
  • Features PAT.97 on the base of neck
  • Features large gaps between numbers in the date 
  • NGC has certified these as “Wide Date” and “PAT. 97 on Neck”
  • PCGS has certified these as “PAT. 97” 
Strike Quality Differences in PAT. 97 Pesos
Grading PAT. 97 Pesos
  • Grading services will check the highlighted areas for rub when determining if the coin is uncirculated (MS) or About uncirculated (AU)
  • Lack of details does not imply that the coin is not uncirculated. These coins often had weak strikes which can result in missing details.
  • Nearly all souvenir pesos have a dull gray color and do not have as much luster as other .900 silver coins
  • The coin pictured is PCGS MS62 

Variety Number Two "Close Date Star Below Baseline"

Key Points
  • Krause X# M2
  • Mintage 4,286
  • Features star on right side blow the 7 in 1897
  • NGC has certified these recently as “Close Date” 
  • PCGS has certified these as “Close Date Star Below”

Variety Number Three "Close Date Stars Above"

Key Points
  • Krause X# M3
  • Mintage 4,856
  • Features star on right side above baseline of date
  • NGC has certified these recently as “Close Date” 
  • PCGS has certified these as “Close Date Star Above”

Things to Remember When Buying Souvenir Pesos

  • NGC now certifies X#M2 and X#M3 as close date and does not describe whether the coin is star above or below. 
  • It is nearly impossible to to find these with lots of visual luster and eye appeal
  • PAT. 97 is the hardest of the 3 to find.

Author

Andrew Lydic – Numismatist – E-Commerce Manager at Coinacopia

Works Cited

Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions

“Cuba.” Unusual World Coins: Companion Volume to Standard Catalog of World Coins, by George S. Cuhaj, KP                     Books, 2011, pp. 158–159.