USA/Commonwealth of the Philippines Variety Set

Set Description
After the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American war of 1898 the Philippines became an American possession. Unlike other "Colonial Powers" the United States always had intentions of giving the Philippine islands full independence once the basis for good government was established.

In 1935 a Constitution for the Philippines was approved and on November 15th of that year the Commonwealth of the Philippines was created. In 1937 the reverse designs of all USA/Philippine coins were changed to reflect the new status for the Philippines as a Commonwealth of the United States. The design used was an adaption of the official seal of "The Commonwealth of the Philippines".

All USA/Philipppine coins produced from 1937 through 1941 were struck at the Manila Mint.

On December 8th 1941 Japan attacked American forces in the Philippines. By May 1942 the Japanese invasion force had overwhelmed the greatly outnumbered "United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and occupied the Philippine islands.

During the two and a half years of Japanese occupation the Commonwealth maintained a government in exile in the United States as well as a civil government which operated in secret in nearly every Philippine province. There was also a strong Guerrilla movement throughout the islands. During the Japanese occupation nearly all of the pre-war coinage disappeared from circulation and was replaced either by paper Japanese Invasion Money, Emergency Currency issued by Provincal Currency Boards authorized by the Commonwealth Government in Exile, or Currency printed by the various Guerrilla Military Units either on their own inititive or with the authorization of General MacArthur.

In October 1944 Allied Forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte and began the process of liberating the Philippines. During the month long Battle of Manila (February and March 1945) the Manila Mint was destroyed. By July 1945 the liberation of the Philippines had been completed.

One of the first tasks of the reestablished Commonwealth government was the redemption of the paper Emergency and Guerrilla Currency. In addition to paper Victory Money which had been printed in the United States the Commonwealth government brought with it millions of Pesos worth of silver and base medal coins which had been struck at mints in the continental United States in 1944 and 1945.

Fifty-eight Million Bronze One Centavo coins were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1944. The San Francisco Mint also struck 21,198,000 Copper-Nickel Five Centavos dated 1944, 72,796,000 Copper-Nickel Five Centavos dated 1945, 19,187,000 Silver Fifty Centavos dated 1944, and 18,120,000 Silver Fifty Centavos dated 1945. The Philadelphia Mint struck 21,198,000 Copper-Nickel Five Centavos dated 1944. The Denver Mint struck 31,592,000 Silver Ten Centavos dated 1944, 137,208,000 Silver Ten Centavos dated 1945, 28,596,000 Silver Twenty Centavos dated 1944 and 82,804,000 Silver Twenty Centavos dated 1945.

The 1944 and 1945 Commonwealth coinage contain several interesting Die Varities.

On July 4th 1946 the Republic of the Philippines became a free and independent nation. Coins issued by the United States for use in the Philippines continued to circulate in Philippines until the mid 60's.

Set Goals
USA/Commonweath of the Philippines Die Varities