Expert: James Yee - 4/5/2007

Question
I found a wooden box of royal jamaica cigars (coronitas) in the attic. I really don't know how old they are or if they are any good. They are all individually wrapped and in excellent condition. Are they worth anything or can they be used? Can u please give me some information on them?...thank you...g. williams

Answer
Hi Gladys,

First, I would like to provide you with a bit of history about Royal Jamaica cigars: This cigar brand was originally created around the time of World War II by the British and was intended to be supplied to British troops during the war.  Though the British created this brand, the tobacco was grown and manufactured locally in Jamaica.  Originally, Jamaican tobacco was intended to be used but because the quality of the Jamaican tobacco plant was so poor at the time, Cuban tobacco growers were hired to grow their own Cuban seed tobacco plants in Jamaican.  (Another interesting note about this brand is that original Royal Jamaica cigars contained a Jamaican root called "bethune" that made the tobacco leaves resilient against the excessively humid Jamaican climate.)

After Hurricane Gilbert struck the Caribbean in the late 1980's, the Jamaican tobacco industry was wiped out so production for Royal Jamaica cigars were moved from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic where this brand is still being made today. (The cigar industry has recovered in Jamaica now but Royal Jamaica cigars are still being produced in the Dominican Republic.)  The “coronitas” cigar, if I recall correctly, is a discontinued cigar and no longer made under the Royal Jamaica brand.

Unfortunately, I do not specialize in cigar appraisals and I’m not qualified to give you an appraisal value but to answer your question, there is always a market for buying and selling vintage cigars so your cigars can most definitely be worth something if they have been properly stored all these years.  If you’re interested in getting an appraisal value for these cigars, what you can do is contact antique dealers that specialize in “Tobacciana” and they should be able to help you or put you on the right path in terms of finding someone who can properly appraise the cigars.

To answer your other question, these cigars can actually be smoked if they have been stored in a proper environment all these years.  Cigars must be stored in an environment with around 70% humidity and a temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in order to stay “fresh”.  If the cigars have not been stored under these conditions, they may be either too dry (or too moist), moldy, bug infested or a combination of all three; possibly leaving the cigars too damaged to restore.  If they haven’t been properly stored and you’re interested in restoring them, the first thing you need to do is visually inspect the cigars for mold or holes (bug holes).  If the cigars have no mold or bug holes, you can restore them by storing them in a humidor with a humidifier that provides 70% humidity (use a hygrometer to accurately measure the humidity level).  If you keep the humidity steady, the cigars would then have to be stored for at least 6 to 8 months to be fully re-hydrated.  Because these cigars are vintage, it’s best to leave them in their plastic wrappers and original box. (The humidity will not harm either and can easily pass through the cellophane so your cigars will still be humidified.  If you attempt to remove the box or wrappers, you may damage the cigars.)

After the cigars have been fully re-hydrated, they must be constantly kept in a humidor environment (with 70% humidity) to ensure that they remain humidified.  Cigars that are kept in pristine condition and well maintained may have a higher appraisal value.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  

Regards,
James