Spanish identity document,(residence certificate) in Cuba (1880) D1

This authentic 1880 Spanish residence certificate, known as a "Cédula de Vecindad," represents a crucial administrative document from colonial Cuba's bureaucratic apparatus. Issued by the Provincia de Cuba Policia, this identity document was mandatory for residents and served as proof of legal residence and civic status within Spanish colonial territories. The certificate contains comprehensive personal information sections documenting the holder's status, profession, age, and physical characteristics—standard identification data required by colonial authorities for population management and social control. Issued at a cost of fifty cents, the document carried a one-year validity period, necessitating regular renewal and ensuring continuous government oversight of the resident population. Particularly significant is the handwritten notation indicating the certificate holder's death in 1881, merely months after the document's issuance. This poignant detail transforms the certificate into a biographical artifact, capturing a snapshot of an individual's life during a turbulent period in Cuban history. The official stamps and handwritten annotations authenticate its provenance and provide insight into the administrative practices of Spanish colonial governance. Such residence certificates are increasingly scarce, as many were discarded or destroyed following Cuba's independence in 1898. This document offers invaluable primary source material for historians, genealogists, and researchers studying Spanish colonial administration, 19th-century Cuban demographics, and the daily mechanisms of imperial control. The combination of official documentation and personal historical detail makes this an exceptional collectible for those interested in Caribbean colonial history and archival materials