Name/Title
Commemorative medal of the National Literacy Campaign (Alfabetización) — cased set with service ribbon barEntry/Object ID
2026.1.8Description
Object Type: State decoration (medal) with suspension ribbon, matching ribbon bar, and presentation case
Description: Cased award set comprising (1) a circular gilt medal suspended from a pentagonal Soviet-style ribbon mount on a green/white/red striped ribbon; (2) a matching mounted service ribbon bar; and (3) a hinged presentation case with black exterior and ochre flocked lining. Obverse of the disc bears the relief legend "alfabetización" with a farol (the oil lamp carried by literacy brigadistas), an open primer/book, and a stylized landscape. Reverse bears the Cuban coat of arms flanked by two stars, encircled by "REPÚBLICA DE CUBA" (top) and "CONSEJO DE ESTADO" (bottom). Images 1 and 2 show the obverse and reverse of the same single medal.Collection
María Teresa Cornide Hernández collectionAcquisition
Accession
2026.1Notes
Belonged to María T Cornide.Made/Created
Place
Country
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
Maker: Unknown. No maker's mark or hallmark visible.
Date: Circa 1979–1990 (manufacture/award). The medal commemorates the 1961 campaign but is not a 1961 object: the "Consejo de Estado" issuer places its institution within Cuba's reorganized honors system (1978–79) or later. Most plausibly awarded in the 1980s. See Flags.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Notes
Obverse: alfabetización, with farol-lamp and book devices.
Reverse: REPÚBLICA DE CUBA / CONSEJO DE ESTADO, with the national coat of arms and two stars.Parts
case, case lid, medal, ribbon barMaterials
Material
Metal, Fabric, PlasticMaterial Notes
Materials: Gilt metal medal (gilded brass or bronze; base metal unconfirmed); machine-woven ribbon (synthetic or silk); metal ribbon-bar mount; presentation case of card or wood covered in cloth/leatherette with flocked textile lining.
Technique: Die-struck and gilded disc; pentagonal pin-back suspension mount (Soviet-influenced pattern); woven ribbon; mounted service-bar.Relationships
Related Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaRelated Events
Event
Campaña de AlfabetizaciónResearch Notes
Notes
The National Literacy Campaign was conducted in 1961. Volunteer student brigades (the Brigadas Conrado Benítez) were equipped with a uniform, a blanket, and an oil lamp for traveling the countryside at night; these lamps became the symbol of the brigades. Cuba declared itself a Territory Free of Illiteracy on December 22, 1961. The farol lamp on the obverse references this directly. WikipediaWordpressCreated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
March 22, 2026Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 15, 2026
