Ponce De Leon cigars dating back to 1906 discovered

A rare piece of JC Newman’s cigar history has been uncovered in Texas.

A salesman’s cabinet of 80 perfectly preserved Ponce De Leon cigars dating back to 1906 was recently found in a Plano, Texas basement by a local cigar fan. This historic find was brought to a Plano cigar shop and promptly delivered to J.C. Newman’s Tampa headquarters.

The cigars are from the 1906 debut of the Ponce De Leon brand made by the Cuesta Rey Cigar Company, which was purchased by Newman in 1958. Considering their age, the long-lost cigars were preserved in amazing condition.

According to Drew Newman of J.C. Newman Cigars, “Tampa cigars a hundred years ago were made with all Cuban tobacco,” said Newman. “This is dark, Cuban tobacco, grown in Cuba, shipped from the Port of Havana to the Port of Tampa, and then rolled by hand here in the Cigar City.”

The vintage collection consists of various shapes and sizes of the Ponce De Leon brand and was stored in a unique display case that was used by salesmen of the era who traveled to sell their wares.

Drew has stated that the cigars are miraculously still in good enough condition to smoke but will be preserved as artifacts instead. The vintage cabinet and cigars are now on display at the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory in Tampa for visitors to admire. Guided tours are available. For more information, visit www.jcnewman.com.