Jersey dealer expects ‘revolutionary’ Castro cigar box to reach £100k

Monday 30 May 2022

A secret message cigar box used by Fidel Castro to organise the Cuban revolution while in prison is expected to reach around £100,000 at an online auction after being put up by a Jersey memorabilia dealer.

According to local brokers Just Collecting, the box came to be known as ‘El Buzon de Correos’ (‘The Post Box’) due to the important role it played in relaying secret messages to his 26 July comrades without Batista Guards’ knowledge.

While it closely resembled an Upmann cigar box of the time, Castro's version contained two secret doors.

While incarcerated between 1953 to 1955, Castro would give the box to his mistress, Natty Revuelta Clews, instructing her to supply him with cigars using the box – and transport clandestine notes.

The box later went missing until it was found at Ms Revuelta Clews' home after her death in 2015. In 2018, it was opened, revealing a letter from her to Castro, speaking of her hope that he is "still in good spirits".

It's not the only cigar box up going under the online hammer – bids are also being invited on Castro's 'assassination-prevention' box, which is marked with his signature (est. £30,000).

Pictured: Castro's 'assassination prevention' cigar box. (Just Collecting/Paul Fraser Collectibles)

Only he and his closest security team members were allowed to touch it, minimising the risk of the CIA planting a bomb or poisoned cigar in the box.

The boxes are the headline act among what Just Collecting have described as "38 momentous lots of never-before seen Cuban history".

The collection was acquired by its present owner, Gary Shannon, a businessman who provided telecoms services to Cuba, at the estate sale of Ms Revuelta Clews between December 2015 and July 2016.

Other elements include:

• Che Guevara's personal signed Cuba flag from the Bay of Pigs invasion (est. £20,000),
• Che Guevara's personal lucky lighter he bought at Shannon airport in Ireland in 1965 (expected to reach £4,000),
• Che Guevara's personal water bottle, which was signed by Guevara himself and used throughout the Cuban revolution to avoid contracting malaria (est. £10,000),
• Fidel Castro's personal ashtray (£10,000) and machete (£7,000), and
• Castro and Guevara's personal fishing rods (£10,000 each).

Also up for grabs are more than 130 original print photos of Fidel Castro, Raul Castro and Che Guevara, 73 of which were taken by Castro's personal photographer, Alberto Korda (est. £50,000).

Pictured: Che Guevara's water bottle. (Just Collecting/Paul Fraser Collectibles)

Just Collecting founder Paul Fraser said of the collection: "The word to sum up this auction is: 'personal'.

"These aren't just pieces Castro and Guevara briefly touched or signed. These items were their personal property. Used by these extraordinary figures of 20th century history on a daily basis. And that makes this auction unique."

He said he expected "huge interest", as "after this auction, there is nothing else of this magnitude set to emerge ever again."

The auction is running online at Just Collecting's partner company Paul Fraser Collectibles.

Islanders are being invited to explore the collection in person at the Royal Yacht Hotel on Wednesday 15 June between 14:00 and 18:00.

Pictured top: Fidel Castro's 'Buzon de Correos' - the secret message cigar box. (Just Collecting/Paul Fraser Collectibles)