Lexicon
Marca
Spanish for "brand" — the established term for a cigar brand, particularly in the Cuban context.
In 19th-century Havana the cigar became a branded product: marcas such as H. Upmann (1844), Partagás (1845), and Romeo y Julieta (1875) competed through tobacco quality and a finely subdivided range of vitolas. A marca is not necessarily a factory — in Cuba state-owned workshops today produce several brands under one roof. The marca is identified by the anilla and the box presentation.