El Fantasma Con Chavito El Ahorro Infantil card album (translating from Spanish to ‘The Phantom With Chavito Child Savings’) was released by La Gloria Chocolates in Havana, Cuba in 1945. The card album was a promotion launched by La Gloria Chocolates, themed around the 1943 Phantom Serial by Colombia Pictures. A full set of cards is made up of 300, with a 27 page album released to attach the 300 paper cards.

On the front cover, we not only see images of the Phantom, but also those of Joseph Stalin (Russian President), Franklin Roosevelt (US President) and Winston Churchill (UK Prime Minister), the leaders of their respective counties in 1945. At the bottom right hand side corner of the front cover, we also see the name of the illustrator of the cards and album, ‘Lucio’.

On the rear of the cover, we see an advertisement for the Phantom Serial released by Colombia Pictures in 1943.

The El Fantasma cards were found in products sold by La Gloria Chocolates. The El Fantasma cards contain a progressive story image on one side, with a short description and card number. On the rear side of the card, we see an image that represents currency. The cards were used as a form of currency by the general public, with 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100 notes issued, titled ‘Chavitos’. Below we see uncut sheets of the El Fantasma cards.

A close-up of a ’10 Chavitos’ note can be see below.

The rear of the album notifies us that the notes can be submitted to a location in San Miguel, a municipality in Havana, Cuba, in exchange of a variety of items, including books, balls, gloves, skates, bats and bicycles.

12 cards are found on each page, glued to the page by the owner in a designated spot to form an overall Phantom story. A sample of the El Fantasma cards attached to the album can be seen below.

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