Has anyone ever come across a box of cigars from Cuba that has cigars with the wrong label on them? I've got a good friend that is 85 and has hundreds of boxes of Cuban cigars and has come to the realization that he can't smoke them all before he dies, so he has kindly given me access to them (don't mean to make you all jealouse). So the last box I got was a Partagas Serie D No. 2. The republic of Cuba sticker was authentic with the first two charecters a lighter red than the last several and with a blacklight I can see the hidden embossed emblam. The problem is that the cigar had a Serie D No. 4 band and it clearly isn't a No. 4. It's a No. 2 (6 1/8 48). God knows a counterfitter wouldn't make that mistake?????

Nothings impossible in Cuba. I know someone who got a box of D4's with regular Partagas bands and it was completely legit.

Did you happen to ask him where HE got them?

He's got "a guy". He's been buying them from him for years. I smoked one last night and it was perfect. Although I've never had one before so I can't compare, but it was kick ass. I also bought an April 05 Monte No. 2 and an a March 06 Monte No. 2. The 05 was real dark and the 06 real light. Any thoughts? They just looked really different. The shape was a perfect match, but the lighter one wasn't as rich. I just didn't know if the No 2's always had a rich dark color. I imagine it depends on the tobacco crop.

Without seeing pic's or knowing the provenance its hard to know anything.

Biggest question has been answered, you liked them.

Banding anomlies are not at all unusual, provided the band (even if mistaken) is legitimate.

I can't imagine anyone putting counterfeit bands on the real article. What would be the point?

Does it have the LE band as well?

Well, the fact that he has "a guy" might explain the discrepancy between the box and bands.

No LE band. But the NO.4 band is legit. I compared it to the counterfit stuff I could find on line and at CA last night. The bands are spot on. I do find it unusual that the box doesn't have a production date on it. I guess Partagas doesn't have production dates like the Montecristos.

No, Partagas has factory and date codes on every box just like Montecristo, Punch, and so on. Varnished boxes will have the codes stamped on the outer protective cardboard box, such as the H. Upmann Sir Winston.

Unfortunately, you have too many anomalies going on with the same box and it sounds like a possible counterfeit. An 85 year old could potentially be an easy mark for 'a guy' peddling 'Cuban' cigars, especially if he is not involved with the hobby at a grass roots level. No one who implies this is trying to be mean. It's just a terrible situation out there and you seem to be describing the proper environment for someone to have acquired fakes.

What donkost said.