Pre-embargo Montecristo Habana No2 Help Needed

[Mtwill338]

I have an interesting piece in my humidifier that I would like some clarification on from you guys.

Background - my grandfather ran a Churchill Cigar dinner for about 30 years. About 10 years ago a gentleman purchased a box of “25 pre-embargo(1962) Montecristo Habanas for 25k” he handed the cigars out to many of the guests to all smoke at the dinner. My mother was able to grand one and bring it home for me and I have it still to this day.

Under the normal band you typically see is another band that is lighter in color that says “No2”, “serie B”, “De Cent” and what I believe is “amistad 407” but I’m not totally sure. I am having a hard time figuring out what year it could be, what all the markings mean on the band and what the band under the normal montecristo band is since I’ve never seen it before and I can’t find any photos online with the same band underneath. Could anyone help me with this? Thank you!

 

[Oldmancigar]

Wonderful story….the band below could be a tax/duty band.. I’m not sure…wish you could present a better photo of the whole band that is covered. Seems to be in wonderful condition.
I‘m not sure the date of 1962 is exactly correct. It may be earlier. Only for the reason that the embargo of Cuban cigars was signed by Kennedy
on February 7, 1962..

This also might help, the H. Upmann factory a real classic of a factory that in the past manufactured Partigas, Montecristo cigars etc
‘The address was……located at Calle ‘’’’’’Amistad No. 407 ‘’’’’’and 409, between Calle Dragones and Calle Barcelona.
So, the band uses the address of the factory in were it was produced. ….Notice the address is what is on your band “Amistad No. 407”

Also, Between 1939 and 1976, tax stamps were applied to cigars sold within Cuba by Non-State businesses.
‘This was one example, but there were many others.
‘So to conclude, the band is a tax/duty band that was applied to the cigar by the Upmann factory that was independent from the national cigar management. In 1960 the Cuban cigar industry was nationalized, yet the Upmann factory stayed independent for a time after that. (Non-State businesse). So these bands needed to be applied by this factory to their cigars.
notice on the band the words DE CENTS, same as yours.

 

[Mtwill338]

This was amazing information and clarified all my questions! Thank you so much! I actually have a second one of these cigars in a box that was half smoked. Since I don’t care much about that one I slid the band off and used my phone light to see if I could see through to the duty/import band since they are glued together. I was able to see the marking 1959. I’m assuming this would mean it was made in 1959? I’m just happy to hear that it appears the story I was told by both my mother and grandfather is true, not that I doubted them.

 

[Mtwill338]

Also, since the import band says No 2 I assumed that meant it was a No2 cigar but it doesn’t look like a No2. Do you know what cigar it is?