A harbinger nation in the art of collecting rings and box decorations, today Cuba clusters a good deal of those buffs and enthusiasts.

It took Habanos nearly three centuries after Spanish conquistadors discovered tobacco in Cuba to actually hit the world market with the adequate presentation. Cigar boxes, as we know them today, were not made until the early 19th century. In 1839, a couple of lithographic printing presses set up shop in Havana. One of them was known as “The Spaniards’ Workshop” and the other as “The Frenchmen’s Workshop.” Making rings and labels for cigar boxes was one of their many occupations. A few years later, in 1845, Asturian Ramon Allones began using so-called deluxe cases to ship cigars rolled in his La Eminencia factory, boxes that were decked out with printed labels for the first time ever. Around that same time, the Aguila de Oro factory –owned by German Gustavo Bock- started putting rings around its stogies. However, both rings and labels used to be printed at the time using a one-tint press.

Color lithography reached Cuban shores in 1860 and from that moment on it elbowed its way to the realm of cigar making. The very first full-color rings and labels for cigar boxes were printed twenty years later. Shortly after that, following the introduction of bas-relief techniques and the use of thin layers of gold (it used a meager 0.3 grams of that precious metal), printing presses in the country began churning out small works of art that soon struck collectors’ attention.

The story has it when Cuba was just about to win its independence, some Spaniards who had owned cigar factories on the island nation returned to their homeland as cigar ring collectors. During the First International Congress of Cigar Ring Collectors held in Spain in 1989, Florencio Gimenez Caballero, a great connoisseur of the matter, said: “When migrants started returning to Spain, some of them brought logbooks made of black oilskin full of cigar rings they had thoroughly collected during their stay in Cuba.”

In the same breath, Tenerife’s local newspaper El Dia put out an article on April 18, 1959, that read: “It seems the first collections of cigar rings were culled in Cuba with no other intention than quenching human curiosity for the beauty of these motley works. Soldiers who sailed back home from the 19th century war brought some of those rings with them.”

The love for cigar ring collection spread out like a prairie fire and in 1934 several collectors’ clubs were opened in the United States, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Cuba. The Cuban Association of Cigar Ring Collectors is a non-governmental organization founded in 1955. Its membership peaks over 300 people from different provinces around the country, as well as from Spain, Italy, the U.S. and Canada. The association prints a newsletter, organizes exhibits, auctions and meetings to exchange information among its members. A general assembly takes place once a year in the month of December.

Secrets of the Trade There are two major aspects that each and every collector must pay close heed to. First, the ability to quickly spot a single piece from dozens, hundreds or may thousands of rings. Neglecting that element could pose the risk of repeating the same item several times. Secondly, the need to make an eye-catching presentation is paramount.

A majority of cigar ring collectors arrange their collections by topics. Rings depicting pictures, flags, wildlife, flora, sports, means of transportation, heralds, buildings and trademarks are some of the most sought-after themes. However, many people have now turned to the art of collecting cigar box and case labels, a new trend that is rapidly catching on everywhere around the world.

The vista is by far one the main box decorations. Glued to inner side of the lid, the vista provides information about a particular cigar brand and its maker. Its golden layers, relieves and colorful designs really meet the eye. The bofeton –stuck by its lower tip to the inner side of the box- protects cigars from sagging when they are stashed one upon the other in rows inside the case; it also serves as an informational complement to the vista. This particular design is stripped of relieves that could eventfully make undesirable dents in the cigars. For its part, the cover, glued on the top of the lid, is used to simulate lovely wood grain.

The papeleta is stuck over three of the box’s outer sides. Given its beauty, colorfulness and sizes, it’s highly coveted by collectors of all stripes. The best designs feature gilt layers and fine bas-relieves. Last but not least, the tapaclavo is used to conceal the small nail that acts as box bolt, while the filet seals all sides of the box or case to prevent the aroma of the cigars from sneaking out.

A major part of collection is the so-called cigar memorabilia, a branch that embraces a series of accessories linked to the social function of smoking Habanos. Ashtrays, lighters, pipes, cigar boxes, butts, tips, cigar cutters and many other objects have equally been decorated by generations of artists, designers and artisans from every nook and cranny of the planet.