I think you're a decent guy too GP, but the "black market" for cigars is 98% counterfeit. The holograms, tax stamps, boxes and labels are very high quality and hard to distinguish from the real thing.
The security and inventory controls at the government sanctioned factories are now quite highly developed and smuggled cigars are almost impossible.
You may sincerely believe they are authentic Cohibas but if you got them anywhere except a retail store they are almost certainly not authentic. They may be very good cigars, you may enjoy them as much as a real Cohiba but they are not likely authentic.
http://havanajournal.com/cigars/cohibas-box
http://www.cubaverdad.net/cuban_cigars.htm
Thanks for being gentle with me. Sorry if I was presumptuous with you. 98% counterfeit?
Interesting that your pics say La Habana, which is where I stayed in Cuba. We took their public transit into town - Havana. We somehow hooked up with a black marketeer. We went into a multi-storey casa. My friends look like wise guys and they said they were from Sicily just so that the Cubans didn't think we were pushovers. They brought out MonteCristos and Cohibas as secretly as one might see a drug deal go down on Scarface. We were a tad nervous not knowing what to expect at first. It all turned out cool. We bumped into the go-between guy later and bought some more. They were very cool and relaxed (the black Cuban introduced us to his mom 2nd time around, probably the reason for all the closed doors the first time around - he was the one who had all the cigars. He had a caucasian Cuban partner who worked out of a night club - he dressed all polished - I joked that he was the accountant).
Now, my friends are cigar aficionados, especially one guy who's wife worked in a cigar shop. They seemed to know exactly what we were buying.
Just got a text message now. The ones in the black box (sorry, I'm not at home puffing on my cigars lol) are Maduro #5s, and the other light brown,wooden case are Esplendidos.
My friend said we have the exact same stamp as the one sold in the hotel. He also said that the hologram is a rainbow coloured strip that comes in the box loosely.
As best as I can recall, the one I have looks like the 'real' box in your pic.
I bought 3 boxes and a few of the cigarillos from the hotel, both Montecristos and Cohibas. I think I was over the limit by 1 box & a bit. Shhhh.