Cuban 1968 Star 5 Centavos coins minted in Leningrad and Kremnica
Saturday, September 13th, 2008Cuban 5 Centavos coins were minted in Kremnica, Czech Republic, from 1960 to 1972, with the exemption of 1968, when for unknown reasons 5 centavos coins were also minted in Leningrad, USSR (currently Saint Petersburg, Russia). To our knowledge, this is the only instance in Cuban numismatic history that the same year coins were minted at two different locations. It is also the only year that 5 centavos coins form Cuba were minted in Leningrad, although 20 centavos coins were minted in Leningrad in 1962 and 1968 and 40 centavos in 1962. The year 1968 also marks a sharp increase in mintage, from close to 50 million in 1966 to over 200 million in 1968, combining the 100 million minted in Kremnica with the 103 million struck in Leningrad. Although there are no mintmarks on these coins, a few differences in both the obverse and reverse designs can be noted. The following table summarizes these main differences:
| Kremnica | Leningrad | |
| Obverse |
The left point of the Star (obv.) points between the A and T of PATRIA. |
The left point of the Star (obv.) is aligned with the right leg of the first A of PATRIA. |
| Reverse |
The end leaf of the oak branch (rev.) points at the middle of the N of CENTAVOS. |
The end leaf of the oak branch (rev.) is in line with the right stand of the N of CENTAVOS. |
