Owner Comments:
Lyman Allen #11.16 (KM #170) - Mintage: 1,045,415
Although the legislation signed by President Theodore Roosevelt on July 1, 1902 provided that "coins should be struck in Manila if practicable," it would be another 18 years before it actually happened. The minting of all Philippine coinage in San Francisco and subsequent shipment across the Pacific Ocean was awkward at best, so, on February 8, 1918, the Philippine legislature appropriated 100,000 pesos for the construction of the Manila Mint.
The Manila Mint, however, was not a new building. Instead, it occupied the first floor of the old Intendencia Building which it shared with the Philippine Treasury, Senate, and other government offices. Clifford Hewitt, the chief engineer of the U.S. Mint, designed and supervised the construction of the machinery. Hewett wanted to incorporate the latest minting technology and had the machinery assembled and tested at the Philadelphia Mint in June 1919. It was then shipped through the Panama Canal and arrived in Manila in November 1919. Over the next 7 months, Hewett supervised the installation of the equipment and the preparation of the mint for opening in 1920.
The first official coinage at the Manila Mint took place in ceremonies on the morning of Thursday, July 15, 1920. Under the direction of Clifford Hewett, Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison coined the first bronze centavo.
Although there is no mint mark, this is among the first coins minted at the new US Mint in Manila.
Varieties: None cataloged for this year.
Date acquired: 3/11/2014 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/12/2014 (self submitted to NGC)
References:
- DeLorey, T. "THE U.S. MINT Of The Philippines," COINage, January 1997, pp. 72-78.
- Perez, G.S. "The Mint in the Philippine Islands," Numismatic Notes and Monographs (1921), Number 8.
- von Klinger, E. "America's overseas Mint" - Coin World, November 29.2004, pp 120.
Rev. 7/4/2013 (o/r)