A LOOK AT PRE-CASTRO PERSONAL CIGAR BANDS

Los Angeles, August 31, 2010 – As noted in the current issue of Cigar Magazine, it was standard practice for nearly every manufacturer of cigars exported from Cuba to offer personalized bands. Today we have an up-close-and-personal look at a few of them:

  • The leading purveyor of personalized cigars was likely Romeo y Julieta. Their personalized band service was so extensive that at the time of the Revolution, they had a private-band library of 20,000 individual designs! Here are three typical styles, all widely collected today:
    • cgr pix-havana band-romeo club 150x450cgr pix-havana band-romeo whitehall 150x450cgr pix-havana band-toots 150x450
  • Another leader in private labeling was F. Palicio y Cia., owners of the Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch brands, among others. Here are two typical designs for American clients in Boston and Cincinnati, using a supplied logo or simply a stylized name, plus a rarer example of a special-edition Punch:
    • cgr pix-havana band-hoyo hotel 150x450cgr pix-havana band-hoyo cincy 150x450cgr pix-havana band-punch 150x450
  • Finally, here's a band from the Partagas factory, the no. 2 exporter of cigars from Cuba, with no name, but simply a photograph inserted into a standard band design:

    • cgr pix-havana band-partagas 150x450

    It is worth noting that unlike many private-label programs today, the name of the brand - Hoyo, Romeo y Julieta or otherwise - was always on the band and helped lend prestige to the cigar. If you're interested in starting your own collection, check out the many individual bands or small collections which are often offered on eBay. Even if you don't win an auction, you'll still marvel at the different styles and themes used on personalized cigars from the 1950s and well before.
    ~ Rich Perelman

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