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1 Peso Coins of The Philippines (1897-1977)

Category:  World Coins
Last Modified:  10/29/2023
Set Description

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A tribute to one peso coins from the Republic of the Philippines, issued from 1897 to 1977


This custom set showcases 40 coins spanning 80 years of Philippine numismatic history. One or more coin(s) from each year a peso coin was minted is represented in this set, along with relevant and interesting historical information about each coin, or select events occurring in the Philippines for each particular year. The coins in this set are arranged in chronological order beginning with the Spanish colonial period, then progress to the American territory period, and culminate with the Republic era.


A Little Bit About The Philippines

Location

Philippines_orthographic.svg

Image from Wikipedia


The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The arrival in 1521 of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Spain, marked the beginning of Spanish colonization. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Spanish settlement through Mexico, beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming part of the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. During this time, Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade. In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began, which then became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War. Spain ceded the territory to the United States, while Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic. The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States establishing control over the territory, which they maintained until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II. Following liberation, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Since then, the unitary sovereign state has often had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship by a non-violent revolution.


Philippine Currency


The Philippine peso, also referred to by its Filipino name piso, is the official currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 sentimo, also called centavos. The Philippine peso is derived from the Spanish peso which was used in the Philippines when it was a colony of Spain during the 16th to 19th centuries.


A Brief History of the Peso

14th Century Silver Real

Image from Wikipedia


The peso came from Spain. It was one of the names given to the Spanish 8-real silver coin. The real (re•al) was a unit of currency in Spain for several centuries. It was originally introduced by King Pedro I of Castile in the mid-14th century, and it bore the expression numus regalis, which is Latin for “royal coin.” Eventually, this coin’s name was shortened to real.

The real circulated with various other silver coins until a reform eliminated all other silver coins. This event occurred in 1497, after the Spanish kingdoms were united under Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. The monetary reform initiated by King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I created a money system which gave birth to the peso. For the next three centuries this system dominated international payments.

The most common denomination for the Spanish monetary system was the silver eight-real coin, also known as the real de a ocho. It was a large silver coin, approximately 38mm in size, with high purity--a 0.9306 millesimal fineness (25.563 grams or 0.822 troy ounce of fine silver). It was of the type commonly known as a thaler in Europe during the 16th century. This coin would eventually be called peso. The word peso itself literally means weight in Spanish and was first used in reference to pesos oro (gold weights) or pesos plata (silver weights).

After the discovery of the New World and the expansion of the Spanish Empire, The silver peso coin worth eight reales was minted in large quantities following the discovery of silver in Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia in the 16th century. It immediately became a coin of worldwide importance in international trade between Europe, Asia, and North America.

Macuquina

Image from Wikipedia


Initially the peso was made in a rapid and simplified manner by cutting off a lump of silver of proper weight and fineness from the end of a silver bar, which was then flattened out and impressed by a hammer. This resulted in a crude, irregular coin called a cob or macuquina in Spanish. The Spanish Crown was entitled to a fifth of all gold and silver mined—the quinto real (royal fifth), and cobs were a convenient means of handling and accounting for silver. In most cases these cobs were immediately melted down by the recipient. However, some did remain in circulation as currency, and these cobs were ideal candidates for clipping and counterfeiting due to their irregular shape and incomplete design.

Spanish laws of 1728 and 1730 ordered the mechanization of the minting of the peso so that they would be perfectly round and have milled edges. Along with the new minting process came a reduction in the peso’s weight and fineness to 0.9167 fine (24.809 grams fine silver). But despite the reduction of its silver content, the new peso became even more popular in international trade because of its uniformity in standard and milling characteristics.

In North America, the peso coin was known to English colonists as a piece of eight, which came from the Spanish phrase “peso de ocho” (“weight of eight” in English). Later on, it was called a Spanish dollar, Spanish milled dollar, and finally a Mexican dollar (because it was the main coin minted in colonial Mexico). In French, it was called a piastre and in Portuguese, a pataca or patacão. The Spanish names at various times and in various places were real de a ocho, patacón, duro, or fuerte.

Image from Numista


People were calling the 8-real coin a peso practically since it first appeared, but the word itself did not appear on a coin until 1817. Chile, after gaining its independence from Spain, introduced the silver Chilean peso coin which had a value of 8 reales. Known among those who collect it as a Chilean “volcano coin”, the coin’s reverse shows an erupting volcano with the words UN PESO surrounded by leaves above the volcanic smoke. Other South American countries followed: Uruguay in 1844, Columbia in 1855, and the rest within the next thirty years. Puerto Rico produced its first silver one peso coin in 1895, followed by the Philippines in 1897.

In the United States, the peso was the coin upon which the original US dollar was based (at 0.7735 oz or 24.0566 g), and it remained legal tender until the Coinage Act of 1857. The peso was also the basis for a number of modern currencies, such as the Canadian dollar, the Japanese yen, the Chinese yuan, the Philippine peso, and several currencies in the rest of the Americas. Today, the peso remains the name of the official currency in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the Philippines.



Spanish Colony Peso Coins

Spanish Galleon

Image from Wikipedia


Spanish peso coins were brought over to the Philippines by the Manila galleons between the 1565 and 1815. These galleons were Spanish trading ships which for two and a half centuries linked the Spanish Crown’s Viceroyalty of New Spain, based in Mexico City, with her Asian territories, collectively known as the Spanish East Indies, across the Pacific Ocean.

Initially, the peso coins that were introduced to Philippines were the odd-shaped macuquinas. The Filipinos called them hilis-kalamay because the value of a one peso silver cob was too much for a person’s day-to-day purchases, and so it had to be cut up into pieces like a filipino rice cake called kalamay. And since the cobs were already irregular, the word hilis, meaning slanted, was added: hilis-kalamay (Ocampo, 2020).

Counterstamped Coin

Image © Heritage Auctions

In 1726, the cob pesos circulating around the Philippines were succeeded by the famous columnarios (silver pillar dollars), also known as dos mundos. Then, they were replaced by coins from newly independent Latin American countries in the 19th century. Because Spain did not recognize the emancipated countries’ independence at the time, these coins were counter-stamped in the 1830s by Spanish authorities in Manila. The reason for the counter-stamping was to validate, or authorize, their use in the Philippines. The seal of the reigning Spanish monarch was added the each coin: The royal crown above the king's figure F.7.º. for King Ferdinand VII, and the royal crown above the queen’s Y.II. for Queen Isabella II.

Alfonsino Coin
In 1861, a mint was established in the Philippines called Casa de Moneda de Manila. It minted gold peso coins exclusively for the Philippines and its coins bore the word FILIPINAS. The Manila mint would eventually make fractional silver coins, but not a silver peso.

The first silver peso minted exclusively for the Philippines was the 1897 Alfonso XIII coin. Also known as an Alfonsino, this crown-sized peso had the words ISLAS FILIPINAS and UN PESO inscribed on its reverse. But it was minted in Madrid and not at Manila. It would also be the last coin struck by Spain for the Philippines. This registry set's first coin is the Alfonsino peso.



American Territory Peso Coins


This group contains 24 coins. Eighteen are from the Insular Government period (coins dated 1903-1925), and two are from the Commonwealth period (coins dated 1936).

1903 Government SealPhilippine_Seal_1903

Image from Wikipedia


The Insular Government of the Philippine Islands was an unincorporated territory of the United States that was established in 1902.

In the context of the insular areas of the United States, the word "unincorporated" refers to territories in which the United States Congress has determined that only selected parts of the United States Constitution apply and which have not been formally incorporated into the United States by Congress.

The term "insular" refers to the fact that the government operated under the authority of the U.S. Bureau of Insular Affairs. Puerto Rico and Guam also had insular governments at this time. In the Philippines, the government saw its mission as one of tutelage, preparing the territory for eventual self-governance.

The history of the coins in this group begin shortly after the Philippines was ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898, as a result of the American victory in the Spanish–American War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris that same year. The cession of the Philippines involved a $20 million compensation from the United States to Spain.

Background

When the Americans occupied the Philippine islands in 1898 and 1899, they were faced with a messy and confusing monetary system—one with a mixture of different kinds of silver coins in circulation. To make matters worse, the American administration brought large amounts of American dollars into the Philippine islands, as payment for military personnel and for government expenditures. Now there were two major currencies circulating side by side: the dominant Mexican or Spanish "dollar", which was on the silver standard, and the (new to the region) American dollar, which was on the gold standard (Wolters, 2001, pp. 524-525).

Having two different monetary systems circulating side by side was problematic. This was because the American dollar, although made of silver, contained less silver than the Mexican dollar but had twice its value in the United States. But in the Far East, this one-to-two rate was not automatically maintained because the demand for Mexican dollars fluctuated widely internationally. Adding to this problem was the disappearance from circulation of most of the US silver coins which Americans spent in the Philippine islands (Wolters, 2001, p. 525).

So, in an effort to stabilize the currency, the Americans pushed ahead with their plans to put the Philippines on the gold standard, despite the predominantly negative view of the foreign business community in Manila. American economist and banker Charles Conant was tasked to formulate a plan in 1901, which subsequently formed the basis of an act of Congress, called the Philippine Coinage Act. The plan entailed the introduction of a gold standard with a theoretical gold peso as the unit of value. This unit was equivalent to one half of an American dollar. But for actual circulation, this theoretical gold peso would be represented by a silver peso, containing 416 grains of silver .900 fine, the same silver content as the Mexican dollar (Wolters, 2001, pp. 531-532).

On December 1902, the Philippine Commission prescribed the designs for the new Peso coin. It would measure 38mm in diameter (about the size of the Morgan dollar), weigh 29.95 grams, and have the composition of 90% silver and 10% copper. The following year, on March 7 (five days after the Philippine coinage system act was passed), the Treasury Secretary submitted for inspection and approval a specimen of the new peso coin for the Philippine Islands (Edwards, 1903, p. 415).

The 1903 - 1912 Peso

The coin designs preferred by the Secretary of War and officials of the Insular Affairs Bureau were created by Filipino sculptor Melecio Figueroa. These coins were unique because they were bi-national: The obverse design conveyed that it was a coin of the Philippine Islands, while the reverse was designed to "express the sovereignty of the United States."

The Obverse
1903 One Peso

Obverse



In his report to Congress, then Bureau of Insular Affairs Chief Col. Clarence R. Edwards describes that the coin’s obverse features "the entire figure of a Filipino woman lightly clothed in loose costume, with tresses floating in the wind. She holds in her right hand a hammer which rests on an anvil.”

Many numismatic sources state that the model for the coin's "Lady Liberty," as she is called by some, was the designer's seven year old daughter Blanca. According to some accounts, the master engraver envisioned Blanca as a young lady for his design, and thus the resulting image on the coin is "well proportioned, the pose natural and graceful, and well modeled” (Edwards, p. 414).

The top legend denotes the coin's value, "One Peso," along with "Filipinas" below, the reference that undeniably makes it a Philippine coin. In the background to the right of Lady Liberty is the Mayon volcano, "a perfect cone, therefore typical in that none other of such symmetry exists," reports Col. Edwards, summing that the overall design communicates the thought that "it is by earnest labor that the Filipinos must work out their destiny, under the guidance of the United States."

The Reverse

The coin's reverse on the other hand, was designed to "express the sovereignty of the United States," according to Col. Edwards. It features "a shield surmounted with an eagle with outstretched wings, unmistakably American, and at the same time so different from the devices on the United States silver dollar, fifty-cent piece, and quarter as not to be easily confounded." Surrounding the device is the legend "United States of America", the mintmark (on those that have it), and the year.
1907 One Peso

Reverse



Referred to in some sources as the "Arms of US territories", the main design on the reverse consists of the broad winged North American bald eagle, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. Directly below is an American shield divided into two registers. The upper register has 13 stars, and the lower register has 13 vertical stripes. The date, along with a mint mark in some, appear at the bottom, and the legend "United States of America" appears at the top.

Minting of these peso coins began in 1903 at the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mints, using the design and specifications endorsed by the Philippine Commission. But in 1907, the coin's size, weight, and silver content were reduced to align with global silver prices.

The peso coin's production ended in 1912, following a steady decline since 1909. This was perhaps due to a combination of factors: there were too many coins in circulation; they were not widely used as most people preferred paper currency for convenience; and, millions were kept in the Insular Treasury vaults for use as backing for Philippine currency. Having enough Peso coins to last, there was no need to continue the practice of annual minting until demand emerged, which never did.


Culion Leper Colony Peso Coins

Included in this set are four one-peso coins issued for exclusive use at the Culion Leper Colony (and also at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila at a later date). They were minted from 1913 to 1925.

Culion Leper ColonyCulion_Leper_Colony

Image from The American Journal of Nursing

The Culion Leper Colony was a leprosarium located on Culion, an island in the Palawan province of the Philippines. It was established by the U.S. government in 1906 for the purpose of eliminating leprosy from the Philippine Islands through the only method known at the time: isolating all existing cases and gradually phasing out the disease from the population. In addition to segregating the disease from the rest of the population, the island was later established in order to offer a better opportunity for people afflicted with leprosy to receive adequate care and modern treatments.

For health reasons, the decision was made that the leper colony should have a separate coinage of its own which would not circulate elsewhere in the Philippines.(Shafer, 1961, p. 40).

The first one-peso coins specially made for Culion were aluminum coins struck in 1913 by a private manufacturing firm named Frank & Company, in Manila. Because of their simple design, these coins looked more like Hacienda tokens used to pay the farm or plantation workers: Around the coin are the words Culion Leper Colony on top and Philippine Islands at the bottom, with the coin's denomination in the middle. The reverse features the caduceus, which is often used as a symbol of medical practice or health care organizations. The words Bureau of Health surround the outer rim with the coin's date at the bottom.

1922 Culion Peso

In 1920, the newly re-opened Philippine Mint in Manila struck the second issue of Culion peso coins, also using aluminum planchets. But two years later in 1922, the metallic composition of the planchets were changed from aluminum to cupro-nickel (75% cooper and 25% nickel alloy).

The reason for this change was because it turned out that aluminum deteriorated quite easily in the tropics, and perhaps more importantly, to prevent severe damage to the coin from cleaning.

Due to the nature in which these coins were being used, regular cleaning and disinfecting was required. Unfortunately, the disinfectants used (such as mercuric bichloride) corroded or in some cases, dissolved the coins.

Finally in 1925, a complete design change made the Culion currency look more like regular money. Philippine hero Jose Rizal appears as the central figure on the coin's obverse along with the previous issue legend, while the seal of the Philippine Health Service (formerly the Bureau of Health) dominates the reverse along with the date and denomination.



Commonwealth Peso Coins


The last American territory coins in this group are two commemorative one peso coins, which were part of a three-coin set issued to commemorate the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Seal

In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines replaced the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands. This government was an administrative body that presided over the Philippines from 1935 to 1946, and was designed as a ten-year transitional administration in preparation for the country's full achievement of independence. But in 1942, the Commonwealth government was forced to go into exile for three years due to the Japanese invasion and subsequent occupation of the Philippines. When the Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945, the Commonwealth was restored and governed for the last time until July 1946.

When the Philippines became a US Commonwealth, the arms of the Commonwealth were adopted. This seal is composed of a much smaller eagle with its wings pointed up, perched over a shield with peaked corners, above a scroll reading "Commonwealth of the Philippines". It is a much busier pattern, and widely considered less attractive.



Republic Peso Coins


This group contains 15 coins, encompassing what has become known as the English series, the Pilipino series, and the Ang Bagong Lipunan series of coinage.

Independence Day 1946Philippine_Independence_1946

Image from Official Gazette Philippines


The Philippines became a sovereign nation on July 4, 1946 in accordance with the Philippine Independence Act (more popularly known as the "Tydings–McDuffie Act"), which relinquished American sovereignty over the Philippine Islands.

A silver non-circulating commemorative coin set was issued in 1947 to commemorate the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese occupation forces by General Douglas MacArthur in 1944. The set consisted of a 50 centavo and a 1 peso coin, which became the first peso coin issued by the new Republic. Both coins were minted at the San Francisco Mint and portray the general's image on the obverse and the national coat-of-arms on the reverse.

In 1949, the Central Bank of the Philippines (now the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) was created to administer the banking and credit system of the country along with the responsibility of printing and minting all Philippine currency. However, no coins were minted for the new nation until 1958.

Business strike peso coins (and any other denominations) were not minted perhaps because people were used to, and preferred, paper money for daily commerce.

The next peso coin (another commemorative) was not minted until fourteen years later, in 1961. Then for the next eight years, various one peso/piso commemorative coins were released. Finally, in 1972, the republic’s first piso coin for use in commerce (business strike) was finally reintroduced. It has remained a regular issue since then.


English Series Coins
English Series

In 1958, new minor coins were minted. They were the first coin series of the newly established Central Bank of the Philippines and were the only coin series of the Philippine peso to use English as its language for all of its coins.

The coins were resized to be the same diameter as their US equivalents, but using base metals instead of silver. The same seated man with anvil and volcano or standing liberty with anvil and volcano designs were retained for the obverses while the seal of the Central Bank of the Philippines dominated the reverse.

The coins of this series were minted by the Philadelphia Mint from 1958 through 1963, and then by the Royal Mint in England and the Vereinigte Deutsche Metallweke in West Germany in 1965 (dated 1964) and 1966. This coinage is referred to as the English Series because it uses the English language on its inscriptions.

Four commemorative one peso coins were released during the timeframe of the English series.


Pilipino Series Coins
Pilipino Series

In 1967, Philippine coins underwent a radical design change. The long-used Figueroa designs on the obverse of the English series coins were replaced with profiles of Filipino heroes, and the sizes of the coins were reduced. Additionally, coin inscriptions were changed from English to Pilipino, the national language—Peso changed to Piso, and Centavo to Sentimo.

The coins in this series were struck by the various US mints, except for some 50 centavos pieces dated 1972 which were minted in Singapore, and a couple commemorative issues struck by the Sherritt Mint in Canada. In 1972, after a 60-year absence, the one peso denomination was reintroduced, making it the largest denomination of the series.

Philippine coins issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines from 1967 to 1974 are referred to as the Pilipino series because of the Filipinization and design change of the coins.

A proof peso coin, four commemoratives, and two business strike one peso coins were produced during the timeframe of the Pilipino series.


Ang Bagong Lipunan Series Coins

In 1975, a new series of coinage was introduced with, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, “different designs, specifications and denominational mix from the [previous] Pilipino series. Aluminum replaced bronze and cupro-nickel replaced nickel-brass coins. The 5-piso coin was introduced while the 50-sentimo coin was deleted in the series.”

A variety of mints provided these coins, including the Royal Mint in England and the Vereinigte Deutsche Metallweke in West Germany, Philadelphia and San Francisco mints in the US, the Franklin Mint (a private mint also in the US), the Sherritt Mint in Canada, and finally the Philippine's own mint, once it was opened and able to produce coinage. From this point on, the Philippine Mint (Bangko Sentral Pilipinas, "BSP") produced nearly all Philippine coinage.

ABL Series
Philippine coins issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines from 1975 to 1982 are referred to as the Ang Bagong Lipunan (ABL) series because the coins carried the inscription “Ang Bagong Lipunan” (The New Society), a movement and program established by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.

The ABL piso coins in this set dated 1975 and 1976 were minted by The Franklin Mint under the authorization of the Central Bank of the Philippines. Three varieties of coins were struck: Brilliant Uncirculated, Proof, and Matte.

In the Brilliant Uncirculated variety, both field (flat surface areas) and the relief (raised design elements) were textured completely mirror-like (equally smooth and mirror-like, as if polished). Collectors unfamiliar with this series sometimes mistake these BU varieties for proofs. The difference is that the Franklin Mint ABL proof coins have nicely struck frosted reliefs while the BU's don't have frosting.

The Matte variety resembles a business strike coin with its frosted, satiny, non-shiny appearance. This is due to the sandblasted (or acid-etched) dies used, which gave the coin a uniform crème-textured, matte-like surface. Sentimo denominations were not struck with this finish.



So, from the years 1897 to 1977, this custom registry set presents 80 years of coinage--a peso coin (or two) from every year that one was minted, chronologically arranged with historical facts from the Spanish colonial times to the present-day Republic.



Set Goals

Assemble a set that includes one or more peso coin(s) from each mintage year (1897 to 1977), regardless of the grade.

Creating the Set

I don’t know what it is about the old Philippine one peso coins, but I just love them. I have been interested in coins since I was a kid, but no other denomination captivated me like the peso did. I think that it was the US-Philippine peso coins got me hooked. I was drawn to their beauty and craftsmanship. Then later, the fascination of the various coin designs minted at different time periods in the country’s evolution galvanized my attraction to these peso coins. I truly enjoy collecting these crown-sized coins because I find them interesting, attractive, and rich in Philippine history.

I assembled this custom set for two reasons. First, because I wanted to see all of my peso coins in one place. Before this set, they were spread out in different registry sets, so viewing them meant jumping from set to set. But with this special set, I have all of them in one location—80 years of Philippine one peso coins at my fingertips. Second, because I wanted to share them with you. When you view this set, it will take you on a journey back in time. You begin at the tail end of the Spanish colonial times, then go through the American occupation, and on to the birth and growth of an independent Republic.

Building this set was fun, and not too difficult overall, since I had most of the coins already slabbed and in other sets. The rest I had in my collection of raw coins, and some were decent enough to be used.

Like all of you, I enjoy holding a coin (or the slab in this case) in my hand. I think about its history or the story of the person, place, or event that it is commemorating. Sometimes I research interesting facts about it as I look and admire the coin in my hand. So, since I want to share, I have included as much information about each coin as the Registry allows me to. I hope you enjoy browsing this set.



Information sources:


Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 6). Philippines. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:25, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippines&oldid=1117128631

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 6). Philippine peso. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:36, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_peso&oldid=1116246443

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 6). Manila galleon. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:10, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manila_galleon&oldid=1114849361

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 6). Spanish real. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:05, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spanish_real&oldid=1108916939

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 9). Spanish dollar. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:51, October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spanish_dollar&oldid=1117448371

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, April 7). Philippine real. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:15, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_real&oldid=1081394379

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 9). Peso. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:10, October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peso&oldid=1114993218

Ocampo, A. (2020, July). Counting money in the 17th, 18th centuries. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://opinion.inquirer.net/131549/counting-money-in-the-17th-18th-centuries

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 1). Insular Government of the Philippine Islands. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:29, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Insular_Government_of_the_Philippine_Islands&oldid=1113506406

Wolters, W. G. (2001). Flooded with foreign coins. Spanish and American administrators dealing with currency. Problems in the Philippines, 1890-1905, Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 157(3), 511-538. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-90003800
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. For more information see
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Edwards, C.R. (1903). App J (VI): The Execution of the Philippine Coinage Act. In Stability of International Exchange - Report On the Introduction of the Gold-Exchange Into China and Other Silver-Using Countries (pp 414-422). U.S. Government Printing Office.

Wikipedia contributors. (2023, October 27). Unincorporated area. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:12, October 28, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unincorporated_area&oldid=1182143137

Wikipedia contributors. (2023, September 28). Philippine one-peso coin. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:31, October 27, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_one-peso_coin&oldid=1177633642

Wheeler, M. M. (1913). The Culion Leper Colony. The American Journal of Nursing, 13(9), 663–666. https://doi.org/10.2307/3403941

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, March 30). Culion leper colony. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:27, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Culion_leper_colony&oldid=1080090526

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 4). Commonwealth of the Philippines. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:25, October 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commonwealth_of_the_Philippines&oldid=1114022999

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 16). Coins of the Philippine peso. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:31, October 15, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coins_of_the_Philippine_peso&oldid=1110644206




SET COINS

Slot Name
Origin/Country
Item Description
Full Grade
Owner Comments
Pics
View Coin Spanish Colony PHILIPPINES PESO 1897 Philippine NGC UNC Details This coin is the first silver one peso coin minted specifically for the Philippines. It bears the name of the Philippines at the time--Islas Filipinas. Unfortunately, it was also the last of the Spanish-Philippines coins, because a year after these coins were minted, Spain lost the Philippines to the United States of America.

The obverse bears the left facing portrait of King Alfonso XIII as a young boy. Around the perimeter are the inscriptions, "ALFONSO XIII P.L.G.D.D." (Por La Gracia de Dios or For the Grace of God in English) "REY C." (King Constitutional) "DE ESPANA" (of Spain). Below the bust is the coin's date, "1897" between two five-pointed stars (the mint of Madrid's symbol). The coin's engraver was Bartolomé Maura y Montaner and you can see his initials "B.M." right under the neck of the bust.

The coin's reverse features the Coat of Arms of Spain, with the inscriptions "ISLAS FILIPINAS" around the top periphery, and "UN PESO" on the bottom. Included on the reverse are the initials of the assayers, Arturo Sandoval and Antonio Garcia Gonzales "S.G.", which can be found on the left side near the denticles. On the right side near the denticles is another initial, "V" and belongs to Remigio Vega Vega, the weight-master or balance judge.

The Spanish Coat of Arms used in this coin is the one used (1875) when the Bourbons were restored with Alfonso XII of Spain. It consists of an Escutcheon (shield) divided into four quarters, with an inescutcheon (smaller escutcheon superimposed) in the center, a point at the bottom, and the Spanish Royal Crown as the crest on top. The supporters consist of the Pillars of Hercules surrounded by a ribbon with the Motto 'Plus Ultra' written on it.

The images depicted on each quarter of the shield are, from 1st quarter (top left): A castle representing the Kingdom of Castille; 2nd quarter (top right): A lion rampant (rearing up) representing the Kingdom of Leon; 3rd quarter (bottom left): Vertical bands representing the Crown of Aragon; and 4th quarter (bottom right): Golden chains with an emerald in the center representing the Kingdom of Navarre.

Superimposed on the main shield is a smaller shield with three three fleur-de-lis, representing the House of Bourbon. At the main shield's bottom point, or ente en point, is a two-branched pomegranate plant with fruit and two branches. The pomegranate is known as a granada in Spanish. This symbol represents the Kingdom of Granada.

The Pillars of Hercules are an ancient name given to the Strait of Gibraltar. The motto "Plus Ultra" means 'further beyond' in Latin.

Finally, a crown sits above the main shield. It is adorned with precious stones: Eight rosettes (five which are visible), and eight pearls interspersed, closed at the top by eight diamonds also adorned with pearls and surmounted by a cross on a globe. This represents the Spanish Royal Crown.

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This is a nice coin that shows no trace of wear. Its design elements are well-struck and it possesses brilliant color with vibrant cartwheel luster throughout. It has a few light contact marks on each side, but retains a strong eye appeal despite the relatively light cleaning it went through some time ago. I acquired this specimen already graded.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 25.0000 g
ASW: 0.7234 oz
Diameter: 37 mm
Edge: Ornaments (27 Fleurs-de-lis)
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage:
KM# 154


📆 This Year In Philippine History

In March 22, 1897, the Tejeros Convention, also known as the Tejeros Assembly and the Tejeros Congress, was held in San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite, (now General Trias) Philippines.

The meeting was between Katipunan factions of Magdiwang and Magdalo. It resulted in the creation of a new revolutionary government that took charge of the Philippine Revolution, replacing the Katipunan. It followed on a previous meeting now known as the Imus Assembly. Filipino historians consider the first presidential and vice presidential elections in Philippine history to have been held at this convention, although only Katipuneros (members of the Katipunan) were able to take part, and not the general populace.

The revolutionary leaders called the convention to discuss the defense of Cavite against the Spaniards during the Philippine Revolution. Instead of focusing on the defense of the province, the convention became an election to decide the leaders of the revolutionary movement. Additionally, the issue of governance within the Katipunan and of the revolutionary effort, which was the cause of the escalating tension between the Magdalo and Magdiwang forces of Cavite, needed to be settled once and for all.

Bonifacio presided over the election as chairman of the convention. He secured the unanimous approval of the assembly that the decisions would not be questioned, and the winners be respected regardless of their stations in life or educational attainment.

Emilio Aguinaldo was elected president, with Mariano Trias as his Vice-President.


____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 1400, July 25, 2022, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-154-1897-cuid-1112353-duid-1519321

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 1410, July 25, 2022, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces15891.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 11). Tejeros Convention. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:27, October 15, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tejeros_Convention&oldid=1115394673
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1903 USA-PHIL NGC AU 58 This coin is the first in the series of United States-Philippines (USPI) peso coins. Minted in Philadelphia, it was placed into circulation on 23 July 1903. The new peso, along with the rest of the new currency, initially met unexpected resistance especially from Chinese merchants, who preferred the Mexican Peso over the Philippine Peso, despite the latter having a higher monetary value. Recall that the new Philippine Peso was on the gold standard and was worth more than a Mexican Peso because in this gold exchange system, the new silver coins were token coins, the value of which was higher than that of their silver content.

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The silver surfaces of this near-Mint example still show a generous amount of luster, with splashes of delicate copper toning mostly on the peripheral areas. The few marks and minor hairlines that come with light circulation are not distracting, and only a trace of wear appears on the high points. Overall, it's quite an attractive coin.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 2,791,000
KM# 168


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On March 14, 1903, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), which supplies electric power to residents of Metro Manila (National Capital Region) and the exurbs that form Mega Manila, was established. Originally named "Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company", it was the first power company given franchise to operate electric cars, called Tranvia, and provide electricity in Manila and surrounding areas.

Meralco dates back to La Electricita, an electric company first organized in 1891. La Electricita began operations in late 1894, becoming the first electric company to provide electricity to Manila towards the close of the Spanish era. La Electricista had built a central power plant on Calle San Sebastian (now Hidalgo Street) in Quiapo, Manila. On January 17, 1895, its streetlights were turned on for the first time and by 1903, it had about 3,000 electric light customers.

The Manila Electric Company acquired both La Electricista and the Compañía de los Tranvías de Filipinas, a firm that ran Manila's horse-drawn tramways which was founded in 1882. Construction on the electric tramway began that same year. In addition to acquiring La Electricista's Calle San Sebastian power plant, the company built its own steam generating plant on Isla Provisora (later becoming the Manila Thermal Power Plant), which powered the tram system and eventually also the electric service. By 1906, the Manila Electric Company's annual power output capacity was around eight million kWh.

By 1915, electricity generation and distribution became the main MERALCO's main income generator, overtaking its public transportation operations in terms of revenue. In 1919, it changed its official name to Manila Electric Company. By 1920, the company's power capacity had grown to 45 million kWh.

Meralco's operation was interrupted during World War II and rehabilitation was undertaken in 1945. In 1962, it changed its ownership from American to Filipino.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wolters, W. G. (2001). Flooded with foreign coins. Spanish and American administrators dealing with currency. Problems in the Philippines, 1890-1905, Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 157(3), 511-538. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-90003800
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. For more information see
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, March 14, 1903, the Manila Electric Company was established. Retrieved 10:15, October 1, 2022, from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1009/today-in-philippine-history-march-14-1903-the-manila-electric-company-was-established

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 29). Meralco. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:34, October 1, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meralco&oldid=1112962434
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1903 S USA-PHIL NGC MS 63 This coin, minted in San Francisco, is the also the first in the series of United States-Philippines (USPI) peso coins, and was placed into circulation on 23 July 1903.

Having initially met unexpected resistance from Chinese merchants who preferred the Mexican Peso over the Philippine Peso, the unwillingness to adopt the new currency and its value resulted in the new Peso being accepted as merely equivalent to the old Mexican Peso. In other words, “the old money, which was less valuable in terms of gold, had the same purchasing power as the new” (Wolters, 2001, p. 532). To remedy the problem, the American government in the Philippines banned the import of Mexican dollars and any other foreign currency into the Philippines on October 1903 (Wolters, p. 533). Did this directive solve the problem? Find out in the comments section of my 1904-S Peso.

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This coin, although not evident in the image, is practically blast white. It has nice cartwheel luster and some lightly scattered marks. It has three dark toned spots on the periphery (trivial to me), from where I would guess it was once upon a time mounted. Overall, I find this coin rather choice and attractive.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 11,361,000
KM# 168


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On May 1, 1903, the first Labor Day celebration in the Philippines took place. It was organized by the Union Obrera Democratica de Filipinas, the first labor federation in the country. Thousands of workers marched from Plaza Moriones in Tondo to Malacañang to demand complete independence, while chanting anti American capitalism and imperialism.

The Union Obrero Democratica de Filipinas formerly known as the Union Obrera Democratica was founded on February 2, 1902 by Isabelo delos Reyes and Herminigildo Cruz. It advocated the rights of the labor force during the American occupation of the Philippines. Delos Reyes who was arrested on August 1902 for sedition, rebellion and "conspiracy to the raise the price of labor" was succeeded by Dominador Gomez. It was Gomez who led the first Labor Day celebration.

Later on April 8, 1908, the Philippine Assembly passed a bill making the first day of May Labor Day, a national holiday.

Today, Labor Day (or Araw ng Manggagawa) in the Philippines is commemorated not only with parades and other forms of celebration, but also with rallies and demonstrations of the labor sector.

The celebration highlights the reality that the country's workers have proven to be partners of government for economic development and positive social changes.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wolters, W. G. (2001). Flooded with foreign coins. Spanish and American administrators dealing with currency. Problems in the Philippines, 1890-1905, Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 157(3), 511-538. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-90003800
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. For more information see
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, May 1, 1903, the first Labor Day in the Philippines took place. Retrieved 10:25, August 8, 2021, from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1103/today-in-philippine-history-may-1-1903-the-first-labor-day-in-the-philippines-took-place
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1903 USA-PHIL PCGS PF 64 The 1903 proof peso was the first proof Peso coin of the Philippines and the first proof coin in this series. A total of 2,558 were struck as part of a set that sold for $2 at the Philadelphia mint, along with “a few private requests by private officials in both the United States and the Philippines (Shafer, 1961). And as far as we know, “no sets were intentionally destroyed, released to circulation, or otherwise disposed of” (p. 32).

A lot of these proof coins have fine hairline scratches and some form of toning. This was because back then, proof coins were not packaged the way they are in the modern proof era—in cellophane envelopes or rigid plastic cases, fully protected from surface damage. Mind you, cellophane and plastic had not yet been invented in the 1900s, so tissue paper was used to “protect” the proof coin before it was placed inside a paper coin envelope.

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This coin is definitely a testament to the effects of tissue paper wrapping as it shows a few wispy hairlines. Nevertheless, this coin has devices that are razor sharp and stand out against flashy fields. The obverse shows russet and amber patina on brightly mirrored surfaces. The coin’s reverse is equally lustrous, sharply struck with watery, reflective fields, and peripheral toning at the twelve to four o’clock positions. In hand you will really see how attractive it is.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 2,558
KM#168


📆 This Year in Philippine History

On May 13, 1903, Apolinario Mabini, often referred to as "the Sublime Paralytic", died of cholera in Manila at the age of 38.

Mabini was most active in the Revolution in 1898, when he served as the chief adviser for General Emilio Aguinaldo. He became the president of the Cabinet and secretary of Foreign Affairs. He wrote most of the decrees of the revolutionary government and prepared a constitutional program wherein he proposed a Constitution for the Philippines.

On December 10, 1899, during the Philippine-American war, he was captured by Americans at Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, but was later set free. In 1901, he was exiled to Guam, along with scores of revolutionists the Americans referred to as "insurrectos" and who refused to swear fealty to imperialist America.

He returned to the Philippines in 1903 at the height of a cholera epidemic in Manila and died of it on May 13, 1903 in Pandacan, Manila.


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📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, May 13, 1903, Apolinario Mabini died at the age of 38. Retrieved 17:42, August 29, 2021, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1127/today-in-philippine-history-may-13-1903-apolinario-mabini-died-at-the-age-of-38
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1904 USA-PHIL PCGS MS 63 In 1904, the Philadelphia mint produced a total of 11,355 of these peso coins, with 1,355 being proof coinage as part of that year's proof set for the Philippines. The remaining 10,000 were ordered by Farran Zerbe, a well-known numismatist and 1907 American Numismatics Association president . According to Neil Shafer (1961), Zerbe "ordered these sets to be placed for sale at the Philippine Exhibit held as part of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis in 1904" (pp. 32-33). Shafer continues to describe the coins: "the first strikings of this order...may have been prooflike in quality and appearance, but the majority of them were stuck as Uncirculated coins" (p. 33). It is interesting to note that although these coins were not intended for circulation, around 6,000 ended up in circulation due to the low demand at the 1904 expo (Shafer, 1961).

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This coin has very nice cartwheel luster with untoned silver surfaces. It is mainly brilliant white with slight toning near the rim on the obverse's right side. Marks that are commensurate with the grade are scattered here and there. The reverse is a bit cleaner but has a small spot on the lower right side of the shield. Overall, this is a nice desirable coin from the series' second year of issue.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 10,000
KM# 168

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On October 19, 1904, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), or Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas in Pilipino, was founded. The PUP is a research and coeducational state university in the Philippines founded as the Manila Business School (MBS) and as part of Manila's public school system.

It was eventually promoted to chartered state university in 1978. PUP has more than 20 campuses and extensions across Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. With over 70,000 enrolled students, PUP claims to be the largest state university in the Philippines by student population.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html
Congressional Serial Set, January 1, 1903, U.S. Government Printing Office, Dec 31, 1903, 532 pages. Page 414.

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, September 29). Polytechnic University of the Philippines. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:09, September 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polytechnic_University_of_the_Philippines&oldid=1047173176
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1904 S USA-PHIL PCGS MS 63 In 1904, resistance to the new Philippine currency was still ongoing, even with the import ban of Mexican dollars and other foreign currencies in effect since October of 1903. But another law was passed by the American government in the Philippines in January 1904 that added more teeth to the previous law. This law, which took effect at the end of the year, penalized anyone who did not use Philippine coinage by imposing a heavy tax on the use of old currency. The combination of the two laws finally broke the resistance against the new coins, and "by 1905 the old currency had practically been eliminated from circulation" (Wolters, 2001, p. 533).

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This is a nice frosty and lustrous coin. It has a typical strike for the grade, and barring some minor spots, it is quite attractive with nice eye appeal.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 6,600,000
KM# 168

📆 This Year In Philippine-related History

On April 30 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also known as the St. Louis World's Fair) opened in St. Louis, Missouri. Among the exhibits was the Philippine Exposition--the grandest and most popular at the entire fair. Totaling $1.1 million to create and operate, it was the most expensive of all exhibits.

The international exposition, which went on until December 1st, celebrated the centennial of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, and was attended by nearly 19.7 million people. Exhibits were staged by approximately 50 foreign nations, the United States government, and 43 of the then-45 U.S. states. These featured industries, cities, private organizations and corporations, theater troupes, and music schools. There were also over 50 concession-type amusements providing educational and scientific displays, exhibits and imaginary 'travel' to distant lands, history, and pure entertainment.

Imaginary "travel' to distant lands included one of the United States’ newly acquired territories, the Philippine Islands. The Philippine Expo was the largest, covering 47 acres filled with 100 buildings. It was part trade show, part cultural exhibit, where "thousands of examples of crops, tropical woods, and other goods were exhibited in addition to Philippine ethnic communities" (Kennedy, 1998, p. 42).

To show the Filipinos at their various cultural stages, ethnic tribal villages were built around a cityscape—a replica of Manila's walled city of Intramuros and a central plaza surrounded by copies of official buildings. The Manila area, along with model schools, bands, and police drill teams, was a way to represent the most "civilized" aspects of Philippine society, in stark contrast to the “primitive” setting of the tribal villages (p. 42).

Also in the plaza, the education pavilion presented the educational activities of American teachers. Nearby were the parade grounds and bandstand in which the more than 400 members of the Philippine constabulary paraded, drilled, and were housed. These troops were also brought to police the site (Kennedy, p.43).

Organizers choreographed ethnographic displays, having customs which marked special occasions restaged day after day. "Singers, dancers, and musicians performed regularly on stages from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M., and craftspeople such as pina (pineapple fiber) weavers and basket makers demonstrated their skills" (Kennedy, pp. 43-44).

Around one thousand Filipinos were brought from the Philippines to be on "display" at the fair. These included some 300 ethnic Filipino people from various regions around the territory. Among the most popular of these groups were the Igorots, an indigenous people of the Cordillera Mountain Range of northern Luzon. An Igorot Village was constructed and became one of the most popular of the exhibits.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wolters, W. G. (2001). Flooded with foreign coins. Spanish and American administrators dealing with currency. Problems in the Philippines, 1890-1905, Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 157(3), 511-538. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-90003800
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. For more information see
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 19). Louisiana Purchase Exposition. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:20, October 19, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louisiana_Purchase_Exposition&oldid=1050731702

Kennedy, Richard (1998). "Rethinking the Philippine Exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World's fair". Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved October 19, 2021 from https://folklife-media.si.edu/docs/festival/program-book-articles/FESTBK1998_14.pdf

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 19). Igorot people. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:20, October 19, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Igorot_people&oldid=1050741294
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1904 USA-PHIL PCGS PF 63 This is the second proof Peso coin in the series. It was struck at the Philadelphia mint as part of that year's proof set. Neil Shafer, leading author and expert on USPI coins, shared that "None of these were struck specifically for circulation. Sold at the mint throughout the year was a total of 1,355 sets. These were struck on order and were regular Proof issues" (p. 32).

Most of these proof coins have fine hairline scratches and some form of toning resulting from the packaging. Back then, in the absence of plastic, tissue paper was used to “protect” the proof coin before it was placed inside a paper coin envelope, resulting in the fine surface scratches.

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This splendid Choice specimen offers razor-sharp design elements and nicely mirrored fields. While mainly white, it has dabs of toning at the periphery. Although each side is lightly hairlined, this coin exudes great eye appeal and has an attractive overall quality.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 1,355
KM#168

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On July 26, 1904, The Pagsanjan Gorge National Park was established through Executive Order No. 33 signed by Civil Governor Luke Edward Wright. Called the Carilaya Falls Reserve back then, it covered 14, 560 acres (5,892.22 hectares) and was initially set aside for the development of water power from the falls of the Caliraya River.

In 1913, Governor-General William Forbes reduced its size to 4,990 acres (2,019.34 hectares). Then in 1939, President Manuel Quezon reclassified and renamed the reserve to Pagsanjan Gorge National Park and further reduced its area to the present size of 377.2 acres (152.64 hectares).

Pagsanjan Gorge National Park is a national park and tourist zone located in the province of Laguna in the Philippines, approximately 62 miles (100 km) southeast of Manila. It is one of the oldest parks in the country, and it protects an area of 377.2 acres (152.64 hectares) around a series of gorges on the Bumbungan River leading to the famous Pagsanjan Falls waterfall.

The three-drop waterfall can be reached by a river trip on dugout canoe, known locally as Shooting the rapids, originating from the municipality of Pagsanjan. This boat ride has been an attraction since the Spanish Colonial Era with the oldest written account in 1894.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, October 30). Pagsanjan Gorge National Park. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:40, August 18, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pagsanjan_Gorge_National_Park&oldid=986242712

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, May 21). Pagsanjan Falls. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:02, August 18, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pagsanjan_Falls&oldid=1024306854
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1905 S USA-PHIL NGC AU 58 The 1905 Peso is scarce in the Choice to Gem (and above) grade. One of the reasons is due to the coin's weight and size which made it prone to bag marks. Another reason is the coin's availability. There simply aren’t enough of these surviving in pristine condition today due to a series of events that began that year:

1905--the new Philippine Peso was just a couple of years into circulation and had barely gained wide acceptance when new obstacles emerged. In April 1905, the price of silver began to increase rapidly, resulting in the value of the Peso coin’s silver content becoming more than its monetary value. As a result, it became profitable to sell the coins and melt them. People began hoarding and exporting these silver coins to places like Hong Kong, prompting the government to intervene. So as a temporary way of dealing with the problem, laws were passed that made it illegal to export Peso coins. (To read what happens next in this story, please view the comments of my 1906-S Peso.)

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Abundant luster remains on this coin's blast white surfaces. This coin is fairly clean for having seen brief circulation, with just the usual handling marks commensurate for its grade.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 6,056,000
KM# 168

📆 This Year In Philippine History

On January 15, 1905, local elections were held for provincial and municipal posts throughout the Philippine Archipelago. Famous lawyers and doctors including the rich and the wealthy, political families were elected. Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña Sr. (who would later become Philippine presidents) were elected as the first Filipino provincial governors of Tayabas and Cebu.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, September 11). 1905 Philippine local elections. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:36, September 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1905_Philippine_local_elections&oldid=1043780297
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1905 S USA-PHIL STRAIGHT SERIF ALLEN-16.06a PCGS XF 45 This 1905 issue is the scarce Straight Serif variety. It is characterized by having a triangular-shaped top number "1" in the date, instead of the curved top of the other variety. Although this coin's mintage is unknown, it is estimated that only a small fraction of the 6 million struck are from the Straight Serif reverse die.

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This piece was the sleeper coin of my set because I acquired it as an extra in one of my trades during the early part of my set-building. I had very little interest in it at the time because for one, it was not blast white, which is how I preferred my coins back then. Another reason was because of its low grade. Last, I did not realize at the time that a straight serif variety was a bit scarce. So, it remained forgotten because NGC didn't include it in the set until recently. Now it is no longer forgotten, but proudly displayed with the rest of the coins in "Ye Olde Peso Collection."

This choice extremely fine beauty is richly toned with dense, deep-brown toning over both sides. There is only slight, overall wear at the coin's highest points. It has scattered dark spots and a dark toned area on the reverse rim top area, but all the details are still full and very sharp. It has eye appeal for those into toned coins.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: Unknown
KM#168


📆 This Year in Philippine History

In 1905, the Federalista Party (Partido Federalista in Tagalog), a conservative political organization, rescinded their statehood platform due to limited appeal. Their original platform was for the Philippines to become a U.S. state.

The Federalistas, who were favored by the Americans such as governor-general William Howard Taft, dominated the assembly until 1905 when internal divisions and the new Nacionalista Party began to dominate the assembly. With declining political fortunes, the Federalistas has no choice but to revoke their statehood platform.

The Partido Federalista was originally formed in 1900 by the ilustrados, a Filipino native elite class (which literally meant "enlightened ones") and later renamed the National Progressive Party (Progresista Party in Tagalog). They took up a platform of independence.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 5). Progresista Party. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:31, October 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Progresista_Party&oldid=1048313810
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1905 USA-PHIL NGC PF 62 Minted at the Philadelphia mint, only 471 of these coins were struck as part of proof sets which, according to Neil Shafer, “were made only upon order.” With such a minuscule number minted, the 1905 is the rarest of all the USPI proof pesos. Neil notes that “by the end of the year, all 1905 sets had been absorbed into collections and no more were available.”

A lot of these proof coins, like previous year issues, have fine hairline scratches and some form of toning. This was because back then, proof coins were not packaged the way they are in the modern proof era—in cellophane envelopes or rigid plastic cases, fully protected from surface damage. So tissue paper was used to “protect” the proof coin before it was placed inside a paper coin envelope.

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This coin is definitely a testament to the tissue paper wrapping as it shows quite a few hairlines. It is a white coin with some luster left despite the grade. And being a proof coin, it retains its sharp strike, evident on Lady Liberty as well as on the eagle’s feathers, rim, and prominent denticles. It has a few tiny carbon spots and small marks scattered throughout, but overall, the eye-appeal is still good.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 471
KM# 168

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On July 29, 1905, US Secretary of War William Howard Taft made a secret agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Katsura agreeing to Japanese free rein in Korea in return for non-interference with the US in the Philippines.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269
NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

What Happened on July 29, 1905. Retrieved 11:20, September 7, 2021, from https://www.onthisday.com/date/1905/july/29
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1906 S USA-PHIL NGC AU Details 🗝️
1906 is the last year of the large-sized USPI Peso coin. This one is considered the "King of Philippine Pesos" because it is the rarest and the most sought after coin in the series—the key date.

Many factors make this coin rare. To begin with, mintage was a low 201,000, compared to an average of 6.65 million business strikes minted during the previous years. That’s only about 3% of what should have been produced.

Reasons for this low mintage began in 1905 when the global price of silver increased, resulting in the Peso coin’s silver content value becoming more than its monetary value. As an interim solution to the problem, the government stopped minting these Peso coins by mid-1906, and kept almost all of them in the treasury, unissued (Shafer, 1961).

By November, the silver crisis only got worse and the Peso coin’s bullion value continued to increase, surpassing its monetary value by as much as 13% (Shafer, 1961). A more permanent solution was needed, and this meant recoining the Peso into a coin of smaller fine silver content. So, under a Congressional Act approved on June 23, 1906, along with a Philippine Commission Act approved on December 6, 1906, the green light was given to re-coin Philippine silver coins.

The re-coinage of the Peso is perhaps the main reason for the cause of the 1906-S's rarity. With authorization from Congress and the Philippine Commission, the exodus of one Peso coins from the Philippines to United States began. An article about the first transfer appeared in the Manila Times newspaper of December 15, 1906: "Silver pesos amounting to two million are being shipped to the United States today for recoinage. The Manila Times reports that this is the first consignment to be sent abroad. The money, packed securely in wooden boxes, was taken from the Insular Treasury to the Transport Logan under heavy guard. After the silver pesos are recoined, they will be brought back to the Islands on the next trip of the Logan" (Basso, 1974, p. 50).

So, between the low mintage, the treasury hold-back, and the re-coining, we can infer that just about all of the 1906-S Pesos were melted down and "those that survive today somehow made their way into circulation and numismatic collections. The lack of Gem examples of this date confirms this theory” (Guth, n.d.).

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This coin is richly toned in gorgeous light to medium brown patina. It has a subtle tinge of lavender, blue, and orange coloring in some areas of the obverse when viewed at certain angles to the light. The reverse shows a bit more luster with toning that deepens to darker areas on the right side, along with some reeding marks. A few fine pin scratches on the obverse field account for the grade, but even with these minor shortcomings, I think this coin is a nice example of this well-known rarity.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 201,000
KM# 168

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On August 6, 1906, the system of weights and measures were reformed and legalized in terms of the metric system, when the Philippine Commission Act No. 1519 was enacted.

A careful study of the matter by government experts in the Bureau of Science, found that the standard weight and capacity had become deplorably falsified and irregular. It was commonly said that the only reliable unit of measure was a "Standard Oil Can". The debasement and frauds practised fell heaviest upon the poorest purchasers and consumers. Thus, it was decided to standardize the native measures and adopt the international metric system.

The "kaban" was made exactly equal 75 liters. A "ganta" was made 3 liters. "Chupa" was made 375 thousandths of a liter.

Act No. 1519 took effect Janaury 1, 1907.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Basso, Aldo P. (1975). Coins, Medals and Tokens of the Philippines 1728-1974 (2nd ed.). Bookman Printing House.

Guth, Ron. PCGS Coin Facts, 1906-S Peso (Regular Strike). Retrieved 19:15, September 19, 2021, from https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1906-s-peso/90386

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, August 6, 1906, the system of weights and measures were reformed. Retrieved 9:37, August 12, 2021, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1505/today-in-philippine-history-august-6-1906-the-system-of-weights-and-measures-were-reformed
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1906 USA-PHIL NGC PF 64 It seems clear from the previous year’s sales that interest in Philippine proof coins had tapered off. Consequently, only 500 were authorized to be minted by Philippine Governor-General Henry Ide. The reason was because Ide "felt that a small demand would be made by collectors for these coins and believed that 500 sets would satisfy this demand." writes Neil Shafer in his book, "United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands." Ide’s estimate was correct because coins were still available for sale way into the early 1930's (Shafer, 1961).

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As one of my favorites in the set, I thoroughly enjoy looking at this coin’s sharply detailed design elements and its reflective fields underneath. Mottled shades of brown and lime-green toning accent the surfaces of this attractive near-Gem proof specimen. Needless to say, this coin has attractive overall quality with very pleasing eye appeal.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.9500g
ASW: 0.7800oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 500
KM#168

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On January 1, 1906, by virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 1123 of April 1904, the official language of the Philippines became English. It was used in court proceedings and no person was eligible for government service who did not know the language.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-168-1903-1906-cuid-1085604-duid-1519450

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, January 1, 1906, English became official language of the Philippines. Retrieved 14:58, September 10, 2021, from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1411/today-in-philippine-history-january-1-1906-english-became-official-language-of-the-philippines
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1907 S USA-PHIL NGC MS 63 1907 is the first year of the smaller-sized Peso in this series.

The silver crisis of 1905 which affected the Philippine Peso culminated in November 1906 as the Peso coin’s bullion value exceeded its money value by as much as 13% (Shafer, 1961). As a final solution to this dilemma, Congress passed a law in December 1906 to re-coin all 1903-1906 Peso coins into pieces which contained less silver.

The Congressional Act of December 6, 1906 defined a new standard for the Peso’s silver content, reducing it from 90% to 80% (the silver weight went from 416 grains to 308.64 grains). Additionally, the coin’s size was also reduced from 38 mm to 35 mm.

The Philadelphia mint struck trial pieces of various fine metal weights (Shafer, 1961). Two of these trial pieces survive today—one struck on a planchet of the same diameter and fineness used for the Peso coins of 1903 to 1906, and the other struck on the new 35 mm planchet with reduced fineness (Guth, n.d.).

Neil Shafer (1961) found that “there was much discussion regarding such a change—from its probable effects upon the Filipino people to the extra wear and tear on mint machinery from the harder planchets with more alloy” (pg 15).

Finally, by April 1907, the new coinage was approved and production began at the San Francisco mint (Shafer, 1961). A month later, on May 4, the first consignment of the new coins arrived in Manila and the operation of placing the new money in circulation was commenced immediately (Kemmerer, 1912, p. 252).

To ensure a smooth and expedient circulation of the new coins, an information campaign was implemented. It included an explanatory circular which was disseminated to the public throughout the Islands. It was even translated into Spanish, Chinese, and eleven native dialects. "In addition, all provincial treasuries were directed to carry on a general campaign of education in order that. . . [the people] might become thoroughly acquainted with the new currency and the reasons for the change in its weight and fineness (Kemmerer, 1912, p. 252).

Initially, just like the 1903 Peso coin's introduction, this newly re-sized Peso coin faced some discrimination. According to the Philippine Treasurer Report of 1907, "from some sections reports were received that Chinese traders would not receive the new coins in business transactions except at a discount varying from 20 to 40 per cent, and that they were offering as high 5 per cent premium in the new coin for the old" (Report, 1907, p. 68).

But in the end, "the educational campaign carried on by the Government and by the banks, coupled with the fact that the new silver coins were readily interchangeable at government treasuries throughout the Islands for silver certificates and nickel and copper coins, with which the people were familiar, soon broke down all discrimination" (Kemmerer, 1912, p. 253).

By October 15, 1907, the new coin was "accepted without question in every part of the Islands, and no reports or complaints have been received for the past two months as to discounting, and so far as can be ascertained no premium is now paid for the old coin." In fact, the report continues, "the demand for new coin for exchange purposes has so far exceeded the supply that it became necessary to withdraw nearly half a million of the new pesos from banks to meet requisitions therefor from the provinces" (Report, 1907, p. 69).

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This coin has reflective surfaces and silver centers with delicate golden borders that accent its frosty luster. Small contact marks are present, commensurate with the grade, but overall, this coin is rather attractive.

As I mentioned in one of my comments in this set, I didn't like toned coins. That was until I acquired this one. Its nice peripheral toning made me accept toning a one of the qualities that define a coin.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 10,276,000
KM# 172


📆 This Year in Philippine History

On October 16, 1907, The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) was established as the Philippine Amateur Football Association (PAFA). The PFF is the governing body of association football in the Philippines and is one of the oldest national football associations in Asia. It is also among the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The PAFA reorganized as the Philippine Football Association (PFA), and later as the Philippine Football Federation.

In 1917, the first Spanish and Filipino footballer to play for a European club, Paulino Alcántara Riestra, was selected by the Philippines to represent the country at the Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo. He helped them defeat Japan 15–2, which remains the largest win in Philippine international football history.

In 1961, stakeholders of Philippine football officially organized themselves to establish the Philippine Football Association (PFA) which was later reorganized as the Philippine Football Federation in 1982.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Guth, Ron. PCGS Coin Facts, 1907 Peso (Proof). Retrieved 18:50, September 19, 2021, from https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1907-peso/374990

Kemmerer, E. W. (1912). The Recent Rise in the Price of Silver and Some of Its Monetary Consequences. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 26(2), 215–274. https://doi.org/10.2307/1884764
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. For more information see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Report of the Treasurer of the Philippine Islands, 1907, pp. 68-69. Retrieved 20:16, November 20, 2021, from https://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/acx1716.1907.003/79

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 12). Philippine Football Federation. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:54, October 14, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_Football_Federation&oldid=1049524128
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1908 S USA-PHIL PCGS MS 63 This is the highest minted coin in the series, and thus quite common.

By 1908, the reduced-sized Peso was accepted without question in every part of the archipelago. The next major task for the Insular treasury was the withdrawal from circulation of the large-sized Peso. This operation didn’t get underway until late ‘07 and well into ‘08 and beyond due to two reasons: First, there weren’t enough of the new Peso coins available in mid-1907 (only P5,275,000 had been received by the treasurer from the San Fransisco mint according to the Finance Secretary’s report). Second, “there was considerable opposition on the part of the people in the provinces to accepting the new coins,” causing the operation to be delayed by another six months (Report, 1908, p. 578).

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This coin has a delicate tan-gold color accenting its satiny surface. Minimally marked for the grade, tinges of darker toning cling to the coin's edges, legends, and devices but only heighten the impact of its beauty. This used to be my least favorite coin in the set, but has since then been elevated to a well-liked status because of its character, cartwheel luster, and clean surface. And even though the general quality is average, overall, the coin is rather attractive.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 20,955,000
KM# 172

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On June 18, 1908, the Philippine Legislature enacted a law for the establishment of the University of the Philippines. Preliminary organization of this institution was begun during the latter part of the same year.

The American occupation of the Philippines was followed rapidly by the establishment of a large number of elementary schools and at least one high school in every province. It was soon felt that the nation ought to have a university as the capstone of this public-school system to produce leaders for the nation and prepare men for service in professional and technical fields.

Moreover, in order to retain the students in the high schools, assurance had to be given that the Government intended to provide advanced and professional courses in English. Otherwise they preferred to attend the Spanish schools.

The College of Medicine was, chronologically considered, the first unit of the University. It was originally known as the Philippine Medical School created by a special act on December 1, 1905, and opened to students for purposes of instruction on June 10, 1907. It became a university college on the 8th of December, 1910. The Schools of Pharmacy and Dentistry were some time later added to the College of Medicine but as yet have not been made separate colleges.

The School of Fine Arts was authorized by the Legislature when the University was established.

The College of Agriculture was established at Los Banos in 1909. It has since become one of the important features of the University system.

The College of Veterinary Science was opened in Manila about the middle of the year 1910 and, in 1920, its location was moved to Los Banos, Laguna, in proximity to the College of Agriculture. Also at this location and on lands belonging to the Bureau of Forestry and adjoining the Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, the School of Forestry was established in 1916.

The College of Engineering began operations in June, 1910.

The College of Law was founded in 1911.

The Conservatory of Music was established in 1916.

A Junior College of Liberal Arts in 1918 was established at Cebu and in 1922, it became the Junior College of the University.

The School of Education which was organized as a department of the College of Liberal Arts in 1913, became the College of Education in 1918.

Today, the university system is comprised of seven constituent universities located in 12 campuses throughout the Philippine archipelago. These constituent universities nurture the intellectual and cultural growth of the Filipino through 246 undergraduate and 362 graduate programs.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Report of the Treasurer of the Philippine Islands, 1907, p. 578, Retrieved 21:10, November 20, 2021, from https://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/acx1716.1908.002/

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, June 18, 1908, the University of the Philippines was established. Retrieved 16:35, August 14, 2021, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1188/today-in-philippine-history-june-18-1908-the-university-of-the-philippines-was-established
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1908 USA-PHIL PCGS PF 63 This is the final proof Peso coin in the series and the only reduced-sized Peso proof coin (not counting the ultra-rare 1907 proof Peso coin). Like in 1906, 500 of these coins “were also made on a stand-by basis to meet whatever orders numismatists might place for them,” and similar the 1906 proofs, these were also in stock well into the 1930's (Shafer, 1961, p. 33). Proof sets were not made in 1907 because “it was felt more convenient to strike the sets the next year as demand for circulating coins was heavy in 1907” (Shafer, p. 33).

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Nice and sharply struck, this coin is bright and mostly white, with a hint of watery toning on each side. Fields are reflective and devices are fully detailed. It has the usual cobwebby hairlines and surface contacts that you would find in a coin of this grade, plus a couple of minuscule spots that have little impact on its eye appeal and overall attractiveness.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 500
KM# 172


📆 This Year in Philippine History

In 1908, the Philippines Free Press was founded. It is a weekly English language news magazine, and is the Philippines' oldest weekly English language periodical currently still in print. The Philippines Free Press is known for being one of the few publications that dared to criticize the administration of Ferdinand Marcos in the years before the declaration of Martial Law, and for being one of the first publications shuttered once Martial Law was put into effect.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, August 5). Philippines Free Press. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:11, September 24, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippines_Free_Press&oldid=1037236559
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1909 S USA-PHIL NGC MS 63 Mintage of this year's Peso saw a 64% decrease from the previous year as perhaps there were too many in circulation and not enough demand for them. In fact, from 1907 up to 1912, "some millions of these Peso pieces were stored as a reserve backing for the Silver Certificates (and later Treasury Certificates) in circulation" (Shafer, 1961, p.31).

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This coin is untoned, fully brilliant and silver-white, with cartwheel luster blasting across the surfaces. Fields display a few grade-consistent abrasions, but overall, this one is easily an appealing example of the 1909 issue.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 7,578,000
KM# 172

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On September 1, 1909, Baguio, then a municipality of Benguet province in Northern Luzon, was declared a chartered city by virtue of Act No. 1963. Then Governor General William Cameron Forbes directed Justice George Malcolm, a young lawyer in the American-led Philippine government, to write the city's charter.

The name of the city is derived from the word "bagiw" in Ibaloi, the indigenous language of the Benguet Region meaning "moss."

The second Philippine Commission, led by William Howard Taft, which arrived in Manila in June 1900, had one express order from then American Secretary of War Elihu Root to search for a cool place in Northern Luzon, high in the ranges of the Cordilleras, and lay out plans for its development. At that time, the Americans were mostly quartered and sweltering in heat in Manila. They thus began to explore for cooler venues where their government administrative machineries could be installed as well as for health reasons.

Climbing way up Northern Luzon and moving on further, the members of the five-man Taft Commission, including Luke Wright, were rewarded with the discovery of fresh pine growths among rolling beautiful hills, and Baguio was found. Thus, a development plan was laid out by the Taft Commission and roads were built, followed by a survey for a railroad to Baguio. The Commission assigned Major Lyman Kennon to supervise the building of the road cut through rock cliffs to open a route to Baguio, which was later named after him.

In 1903, the Americans declared Baguio the Summer Capital of the Philippines and as the residence of the American governor-general to escape Manila's summer heat. Baguio was developed further by the Americans by building parks and public structures such as the Wright Park in honor of Governor General Luke E. Wright, and the Burnham Park in honor of Baguio city planner Daniel Burnham.

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📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, September 1, 1909, Baguio was declared a chartered city. Retrieved 9:37, August 12, 2021, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/560/today-in-philippine-history-september-1-1909-baguio-was-declared-a-chartered-city
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1910 S USA-PHIL NGC MS 64 🔎
When I first saw this coin on hand, it looked to me like it had time-traveled straight from the mint to NGC! This coin has completely blast white surfaces and an admirable silvery brilliance. The pictures simply cannot show how nice the frost and reflectivity are on this fully lustrous near-Gem beauty. There are some light scuff marks in the fields, and I noticed a slight hint of toning on the bottom of the shield when I turned it over, but the devices are well defined (it has the usual softness in Lady Liberty's frontal hair, common in the reduced-size pesos). But overall, this coin has an attractive quality with pleasing eye appeal. This specimen is one of only five certified by NGC at the current grade.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 3,154,000
KM# 172

📆 This Year in Philippine History

On July 29, 1910, the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society (PATS) was founded in Manila by a group of Filipinos and Americans to combat the spread of tuberculosis. Its biggest and well-known unit is the hospital called, Quezon Institute (QI), founded in 1938.

During the early years of the American occupation, the Philippines was confronted with rampant problems in public health. The most serious among these was the unchecked prevalence of Tuberculosis (TB). In a regional health meeting held in Manila in 1910, an alarming report estimated that there was about 40,000 TB mortality in the Philippines.

In 1934, the then Senate President Manuel L. Quezon recognized the severity of tuberculosis as a public health threat. He steered the passage of the Sweepstakes Law that allocated 25% of its proceeds to the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society. In recognition of his support, the Santol Sanatorium, built in 1918, was renamed Quezon Institute in 1938, and was inaugurated by the President Quezon himself. It operated under the prevailing notion that isolation, bed rest, fresh air and nutritious food would cure tuberculosis.

Ironically, President Quezon suffered from tuberculosis and spent his last years in hospitals. He passed away in 1944.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine history, July 29, 1910, the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society was founded in Manila. Retrieved 11:15, August 9, 2021, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1881/today-in-philippine-history-july-29-1910-the-philippine-anti-tuberculosis-society-was-founded-in-manila
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1911 S USA-PHIL NGC AU 58 This coin has the second lowest mintage of the series, not counting the proofs. It is considered by some as a conditional rarity in Mint State and is even scarce in AU condition. The reason for this is not necessarily the low mintage number, but the other circumstances that occurred which are unique to some coins in this series.

For starters, most of these coins were kept out of circulation and held in reserve for use as backing for the country’s paper money. Then, some were sold for bullion, and some were melted for re-coining into smaller denominations (Shafer, 1961). Finally, a great loss of these coins happened during World War 2. In an attempt to save the Philippine national treasury from the hands of the invading Japanese forces, around 16 to 17 million peso coins of various dates (roughly 425 tons of silver) were dumped into the waters of Manila Bay near Corregidor Island (Hubbell, n.d.).

Although about 80% of the coins are said to have been recovered, they are damaged due to the saltwater corrosion and oxidation. Sadly, it is estimated that slightly less than 5% of the minted total are surviving undamaged today.

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My coin is a lustrous example of a near-Mint, well-struck coin. It has glittering cartwheel luster for the grade and bright reflective fields. Touches of light gold toning here and there throughout the coin accent its highly reflective surfaces. A few light abrasions do not distract from its eye appeal.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 463,000
KM# 172

📆 This Year In Philippine History

On January 30, 1911, Taal Volcano erupted. The eruption claimed a reported 1100 lives and millions of pesos worth of damage, and is considered one of the volcano's more devastating eruptions. The seven barangays that existed on the island previous to the eruption were completely wiped out.

In Manila, in the early hours of January 30, 1911, people were awakened by what they at first perceived as loud thunder. The illusion was heightened when lightning illuminated the southern skies. A huge, fan-shaped cloud of what looked like black smoke ascended to great heights, crisscrossed with a brilliant display of volcanic lightning. This cloud finally shot up in the air, spread, then dissipated, marking the culmination of the eruption, at about 2:30 a.m.

Great changes took place in the crater after the eruption. The various colored lakes had disappeared and in their place was one large lake, about ten feet below the level of the lake surrounding the island. Volcano Island sank between 1 and 3 meters as a result of the eruption.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company, 31.

Hubbell, John G. The Great Manila Bay Silver Operation. Retrieved 18:42, September 27, 2021, from https://www.corregidor.org/chs_trident/silver/hubbell_01.htm

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 6). Taal Volcano. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:05, October 7, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taal_Volcano&oldid=1048506229
View Coin American Territory United States PESO 1912 S USA-PHIL NGC AU 58 This is the last coin of the series, and is considered a semi-key because it is quite scarce in uncirculated condition (for similar reasons as to why the 1911 Peso is scarce). So even though far more of these coins were struck than the 1911, there are fewer than half that are NGC-graded in Mint State compared to the 1911 Peso (other TGPs have similar population ratios). The 1912 has the second lowest MS grade population in the series (next only to the 1906-S) as of this writing.

There had been a steady decline in the minting of these Peso coins since 1909, leading to the eventual cessation of its production in 1912. This was perhaps due to a combination of factors: there were too many coins in circulation; they were not widely used as most people preferred paper currency for convenience; and, millions were kept in the Insular Treasury vaults for use as backing for Philippine currency. Having enough Peso coins to last, there was no need to continue the practice of annual minting until demand emerged, which never did.

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A very slight hint of gold tone blankets the surface of this brilliant, lightly circulated elusive issue. This coin shows generous luster and is nicely struck. The surfaces are relatively clean, save for some moderate handling marks in the fields.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 680,000
KM# 172

📆 This Year In Philippine History

On November 9, 1912, Teodoro A. Agoncillo, a renowned Filipino historian and national scientist, was born in Lemery, Batangas. Agoncillo started writing history from the so-called Filipino point of view, along with his contemporary historians Renato Constantino and Gregorio F. Zaide. They stand as the most prominent 20th century Filipino historians to emerge during the post-war period. Agoncillo's "History of the Filipino People" was first published in 1960. To date, it remains a popular standard textbook in many Filipino universities as are many of Agoncillo's other works.

Some of his other well-known works include Revolt of the Masses (1956), Malolos: the Crisis of the Republic (1960), the Fateful Years (1965), and History of the Filipino People (1960) which are all still being used as textbooks in many schools.

For this outstanding works as a historian, he was conferred as a National Scientist in 1985. Accordingly, Agoncillo obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of the Philippines (U.P.) in 1934 and a master's degree in the arts from the same university the following year. He became linguistic assistant at the Institute of National Language and as an instructor at the Far Eastern University and the Manuel L. Quezon University and a faculty member of U.P., chairing the Department of History from 1963 to 1969, until his retirement in 1977.

Until his death on January 14, 1985, Agoncillo served as a member of the National Historical Institute.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 21:27, September 5, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-172-1907-1912-cuid-1112357-duid-1518523

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 21:24, September 5, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4349.html

Today in Philippine History, November 9, 1912, Teodoro A. Agoncillo was born in Lemery, Batangas. Retrieved 14:35, August 9, 2021, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/737/today-in-philippine-history-november-9-1912-teodoro-a-agoncillo-was-born-in-lemery-batangas
View Coin American Territory Culion United States PESO 1913 USA-PHIL CULION LEPER COLONY NGC VF 25 This is the first one-peso coin specially made for the Culion Leper Colony. It was struck in 1913 by a private manufacturing firm named Frank & Company in Manila, using aluminum planchets.

The obverse shows the coin's denomination on the center--a large number "1" and "PESO" below it. Around the coin are the words "CULION LEPER COLONY" on top, and "PHILIPPINE ISLANDS" at the bottom.

The reverse bears the caduceus symbol surrounded on the outer rim by the words "BUREAU OF HEALTH" and the coin's date, "1913" on the bottom. A pair of stars separates the inscriptions.

There are varieties for this coin, as identified by numismatic experts Aldo Basso and Roger McFadden (and Krause & Mischler, of course): Two struck on thick planchets and one on a thin planchet.

The first type is on a 2mm thick planchet and the letter "P" in "PESO" is positioned over the third letter "I" of the word "PHILIPPINES". Additionally, the words around the coin are spaced near the stars.

The second type is on a 1.5 mm thin planchet. Similar to Type I, the letter "P" in "PESO" is positioned over the third letter "I" of the word "PHILIPPINES". Legend spacing is also the same.

The third type is also on a 2mm thick planchet but this time, the letter "P" in "PESO" is positioned over the third "P" in "PHILIPPINES". Another difference is that the words around the coin are spaced farther from the stars.


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This is a Type I coin which has seen better days but it is still an enticing scarce example. I acquired this coin raw and had it graded.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Aluminum
Weight: 3.66 gm
Diameter: 35.4 mm
Edge: Plain
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 8,600
KM# 14


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On October 6, 1913, Francis Burton Harrison assumed office as American governor-general of the Philippines. He stayed in office until 1921. A vigorous anti-imperialist and opponent of "Dollar Diplomacy", Harrison was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson, and was tasked to ameliorate the United States governance of the Philippines.

Harrison declared the Democratic Party's intention to seek independence for the Philippines and locally introduced a number of reforms that brought more Filipinos into responsible administrative positions and added other elements of self-government.

After the defeat of the Democratic Party in the United States in 1920, Harrison lived outside the US, on an estate in Scotland and at resorts on the Mediterranean. In 1935, Harrison returned to the Philippines and became a "presidential adviser" of President Manuel L. Quezon and served the Philippine government-in-exile in Washington, D.C., during World War II. After the war, he again served as special adviser to the first three presidents of the independent Republic of the Philippines.

He wrote Cornerstone of Philippine Independence in 1922 and, the Origins of the Philippine Republic: Extracts from the Diaries and Records of Francis Burton Harrison published in 1974.

In his last years, 1950 to 1956, Harrison and his sixth wife lived secluded in Spain. Harrison died on November 21, 1957 at Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township near Flemington, New Jersey. He willed that he be buried in the Philippines so his corpse was shipped back from the United States. He was given state funeral and was interred in the Manila North Cemetery in La Loma, Manila.

Harrison was born Dec. 18, 1873, in New York City into a wealthy and prominent family. His father was a successful New York lawyer who had been a private secretary to Jefferson Davis, and his mother was a well-known Virginia-born novelist.

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📖 Information sources:

Basso, A. (1975). Coins, Medals, and Tokens of the Philippines 1728 - 1974 (2nd Edition). Bookman Printing House. page 77

McFadden, R. R., Marr, D. F., & Grost, J. (1993). The Numismatic Aspects of Leprosy: Money, Medals, and Miscellanea. McDonald Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 19:10, September 6, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-culion-island-peso-km-14-1913-cuid-1085809-duid-1520222

Numista Exonumia Catalog. Exonumia from Philippines. Retrieved 19:15, September 6, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia21628.html

Philippine Coin Catalog. Culion Leper Colony Coins. Retreived 23:08, October 1, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/culion-leper-colony/1913-1-peso-thin.html

Today in Philippine History, October 6, 1913, Harrison assumed office as American governor-general of the Philippines. Rereived 18:10, October 8, 2022 from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/665/today-in-philippine-history-october-6-1913-harrison-assumed-office-as-american-governor-general-of-the-philippines
View Coin American Territory Culion United States PESO 1920 USA-PHIL CULION LEPER COLONY NGC XF 45 This coin, like the previous issue, was minted by Frank & Company. It features the same design as its predecessor.

The obverse shows the coin's denomination on the center--a large number "1" and "PESO" below it. Around the coin are the words "CULION LEPER COLONY" on top, and "PHILIPPINE ISLANDS" at the bottom.

The reverse bears the caduceus symbol surrounded on the outer rim by the words "BUREAU OF HEALTH" and the coin's date, "1920" on the bottom. A pair of stars separate the inscriptions.

Three known varieties of this issue are known: The more common Type I, which has a pointed serif on the number "1" (as well as narrow numbers); Type I(a), which has a blunt serif on the number "1" and rounder numbers; and finally, Type II, which is similar to Type I, except that the word "PESO" is closer to the stars.


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You can see overall wear at the high points of this Type I specimen, but all of the details are still sharp. For the grade, it's still pleasing in my opinion. I acquired this coin raw and had it slabbed. I was pleased with the grade it received, which, at the time, was the only one at the top. As of this writing, it shares the Top Pop spot with another (2/0).


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Aluminum
Diameter: 35.4 mm
Edge: Plain
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 4,000
KM# 15


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On March 26, 1920, the Philippine Legislature passed Act. No 2928, which legally adopted the Philippine flag as the official flag of the Philippine Islands. Up until the eve of World War II, Flag Day was celebrated on annually on October 30, commemorating the date the ban on the flag was lifted.

The national flag of the Philippines (Filipino: Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas) is a horizontal bicolor flag with equal bands of royal blue and crimson red, with a white, equilateral triangle at the hoist. In the center of the triangle is a golden-yellow sun with eight primary rays, each representing a province. At each vertex of the triangle is a five-pointed, golden-yellow star, each of which representing one of the country's three main island groups—Luzon, Visayas (though originally referring to the island of Panay) and Mindanao. The white triangle at the flag represents liberty, equality, and fraternity. A unique feature of this flag is its usage to indicate a state of war if it is displayed with the red side on top, which is effectively achieved by flipping the flag upside-down.

The Philippine National Flag was designed by Emilio Aguinaldo. It was first displayed in the Battle of Alapan on May 28, 1898 after the Spaniards was defeated and surrendered to Aguinaldo.

The flag was formally unfurled during the proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite. However, a Manila Times article by Augusto de Viana, Chief History Researcher, National Historical Institute, mentions assertions in history textbooks and commemorative rites that the flag was first raised in Alapan, Imus, Cavite, on May 28, 1898, when General Aguinaldo displayed it during the first fight of the Philippine Revolution.

The original design of the flag adopted a mythical sun with a face influenced by The Republics of the Rio de la Plata, Argentina and Uruguay, which in turn represent Inti the Incan Sun-god; a triangle, representing the Katipunan which inspired by the Eye of Providence in the Great Seal of the United States and the Masonic Triangle and which enshrined Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité of the French Revolution; the stripes and colors derived from the American flag. The particular shade of blue of the original flag has been a source of controversy. Based on anecdotal evidence and the few surviving flags from the era, historians argue that the colors of the original flag was influenced by the flags of Cuba and Puerto Rico.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

McFadden, R. R., Marr, D. F., & Grost, J. (1993). The Numismatic Aspects of Leprosy: Money, Medals, and Miscellanea. McDonald Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 19:25, September 6, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-culion-island-peso-km-15-1920-cuid-1084292-duid-1518770

Numista Exonumia Catalog. Exonumia from Philippines. Retrieved 19:20, September 6, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia21629.html

Philippine Coin Catalog. Culion Leper Colony Coins. Retrieved 23:08, October 1, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/culion-leper-colony/1913-1-peso-thin.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 3). Flag of the Philippines. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:16, October 7, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_the_Philippines&oldid=1113846232
View Coin American Territory Culion United States PESO 1922PM USA-PHIL CULION LEPER COLONY CADUCEUS STRAIGHT WINGS NGC XF Details This coin was minted by the Philippine Mint in Manila (a branch of the US Mint). It features the same basic design of the previous years, with just minor changes. This coin was the third of the Culion series of coins and due to the problems suffered by the previous aluminum coins, cupro-nickel was used this time as it was expected to survive longer.

The obverse shows the coin's denomination on the center--a large number "1" and "PESO" below it. Around the coin are the words "CULION LEPER COLONY" on top, and "PHILIPPINE ISLANDS" at the bottom. The inscription groups are separated by a pair of stars. The coin's mint mark, a counter-stamped "PhM" (for Philippine Mint) is located at the center between the denomination. The "M" is in the form of circle which surrounds the letters "Ph".

The reverse bears the caduceus symbol surrounded on the outer rim by the words "PHILIPPINE HEALTH SERVICE" and the coin's date, "1922" on the bottom. A pair of stars separates the inscriptions.

Two known varieties of this issue are known: The more common straight wings variety, and the scarcer curved wings variety.


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This coin is the straight wings variety and is an average coin which unfortunately, suffered the fate of a heavy-handed cleaning as evidenced on each side. I had this coin in my collection and I sent it in for encapsulation so I can have a specimen for the registry. I am hoping to get a better one in the near future.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-nickel
Weight: 13.37 gm
Diameter: 35.2 mm
Edge: Plain
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 8,280
KM# 16


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On July 3, 1922, the first official ROTC unit in the Philippines was established in the University of the Philippines.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in the Philippines is one of three components of the National Service Training Program, the civic education and defense preparedness program for Filipino college students. ROTC aims to provide military education and training for students to mobilize them for national defense preparedness. Its specific objectives include preparation of college students for service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the event of an emergency and their training to become reservists and potential commissioned officers of the AFP.

ROTC student-cadets attend college like other students, but also receive basic military training and officer training from the branch of service that handles their school's ROTC unit. The students participate in regular ROTC instruction during the school year (one school year for Basic ROTC student-cadets and three school years for Advance ROTC cadet-officers), and extended training activities during the summer, such as the ROTC Summer Camp Training (RSCT) and the Advance ROTC Academic Phase Training (ARAPT).

ROTC in the Philippines began in 1912 when the Philippine Constabulary commenced with military instruction at the University of the Philippines. The university's Board of Regents then made representations to the United States Department of War through the Governor-General and received the services of a United States Army officer who took on the duties of a professor of Military Science. It was through this arrangement that the first official ROTC unit in the Philippines was established.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Shafer, N. (1961). United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands. ‎Whitman Publishing Company.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 19:35, September 6, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-culion-island-peso-km-16-1922-cuid-1085810-duid-1518771

Numista Exonumia Catalog. Exonumia from Philippines. Retrieved 19:30, September 6, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia21630.html

Philippine Coin Catalog. Culion Leper Colony Coins. Retrieved 23:15, October 1, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/culion-leper-colony/1922-1-peso-straight-wing.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 30). Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Philippines). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:05, October 7, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reserve_Officers%27_Training_Corps_(Philippines)&oldid=1113182148
View Coin American Territory Culion United States PESO 1925PM USA-PHIL CULION LEPER COLONY NGC AU Details This coin was minted by the Manila Mint and features a new design, departing from the previous coin designs that have a caduceus as the main device. It was the only Culion Leper Colony coin issued in 1925 and has no known varieties.

The obverse shows the bust of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, facing 3/4 to the right. The words "CULION LEPER COLONY" on top, and "PHILIPPINE ISLANDS" at the bottom, are separated by a pair of stars.

On the reverse we see the seal of the Philippine Health Service, an Eagle with wings open above a shield with a scroll at the bottom. The words, "PHILIPPINE HEALTH SERVICE" go around on top, and at the bottom, separated by a pair of stars, is the coin's denomination, "ONE PESO" with the date "1925" above. The coin's mint mark, "PM" (which stands for Philippine Mint) is inscribed as separate letters found below each of the stars. The star to the left has the letter P below it, while the star on the right has an M below it.


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Don't let the image discourage you. In hand, this coin has appeal. Its strike is sharp, it has minimal wear, and most of the original luster remains. Unfortunately, the practice of cleaning and disinfecting these coins took a toll on this otherwise near-mint coin. I had this coin in my collection and I sent it in for encapsulation so I can have a specimen for the registry. I am hoping to get a better one in the near future.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-nickel
Weight: 13.90 gm
Diameter: 35.4 mm
Edge: Plain
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 20,000
KM# 18


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On October 18, 1925, the biggest and much-publicized Balagtasan between two of the Philippines’ best poets José Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes, was held at the Olympic Stadium in Manila.

Balagtasan is a Filipino form of debate done in verse. Derived from the name of Francisco Balagtas(one of the greatest Filipino literary laureates), this art presents a type of literature in which thoughts or reasoning are expressed through speech. Mainly done for entertainment, the poets in a balagtasan include humor, sarcasm, wit, and dramatic flair in their logical arguments and reasoning during the debate.

The circumstances leading to this historic event began on March 28, 1924, five days before Balagtas' birthday. A few writers met up at the Instituto de Mujeres, In Tondo, Manila, Philippines to prepare for the celebration of Balagtas Day on April 2, 1924. That building was the office of Rosa Sevilla, a well-known writer. There they created the concept of the balagtasan with some suggesting a modern duplo.

Then, on April 6, 1924, the first balagtasan took place at the Instituto de Mujeres. The event was held at the Instituto de Mujeres (Women's Institute) as part of the celebration of Francisco Balagtas' birth anniversary. The two protagonists of the poetic debate were poets José Corazón de Jesús and Florentino Collantes.

Due to the successful public reception of that first balagtasan between De Jesus and Collantes, several more balagtasans involving the two were prepared. The two skilled poets proved to be so ingenious that a balagtasan without a script was planned and this time, it was held a large venue for all to see—on October 18, 1925 at the Olympic Stadium in Manila.

The dueling poets’ topic during that famous balagtasan was "The Filipina Girl: Then and Now." De Jesus took the side of women in the past while Collantes chose women today. At the end of the balagtasan, De Jesus won and was crowned the first "Hari ng Balagtasan" (King of the Balagtasan).

After the performance of De Jesus and Collantes in 1925 until the end of World War II, the verbal joust became popular among both the masses, intellectuals, and poets coveted the title of "Hari ng Balagtasan". This led to the adaptation of similar literary forms such as the bukanegan by the Ilocanosnamed after the father of Iloko literature, Pedro Bukaneg.

Filipino poets in the Spanish language, specifically Jesus Balmori and Manuel Bernabe, also engaged in balagtasan competitions, and their poetic jousts featured and immortalized in the book with the title Balagtasan: Justa Poetica (1927), with a prologue written by Teodoro Kalaw. Balagtasan saw a significant decline after the death of de Jesus in 1932.

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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 19:40, September 6, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-culion-island-peso-km-18-1925-cuid-1084985-duid-1520223

Numista Exonumia Catalog. Exonumia from Philippines. Retrieved 19:42, September 6, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia21630.html

Philippine Coin Catalog. Culion Leper Colony Coins. Retrieved 23:20, October 1, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/culion-leper-colony/1925-one-peso.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 14). Balagtasan. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:38, October 8, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balagtasan&oldid=1110176541

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 8). Francisco Balagtas. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:40, October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francisco_Balagtas&oldid=1114798262

View Coin USPI - Common wealth United States PESO 1936 M USA-PHIL MURPHY-QUEZON NGC MS 64 This coin was issued to commemorate the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth. It was designed by a University of the Philippines fine arts professor by the name of Ambrosio Morales, and is part of a three-coin non-circulating set struck at the Manila Mint.

The coin's obverse shows the left facing conjoined busts of Philippine Governor-General William Francis (Frank) Murphy and Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon. Surrounding them are the words “Commonwealth of the Philippines” above, and the coin's denomination (one peso) below. To the right of the busts is the date of the Commonwealth's creation: Nov. 15 1935.

The reverse features the Coat of Arms of the Philippine Commonwealth, surrounded by the legend, United States of America above, and the mintage year (1936) below. The Commonwealth Coat of Arms consists of a five-pointed shield with an oval in the middle. This oval contains the arms of Manila with the castle of Spain and the sea lion prominently displayed. Above the oval, are three five-pointed stars representing the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao). Above the shield is a crest--an American eagle, the symbol of United States. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the words Commonwealth of the Philippines.

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This coin has good, overall luster with an even strike. It shows a dusting of light golden toning on each side but small patches of hairlines and occasional marks limit the grade. But it still displays an attractive overall quality with a pleasing eye appeal.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5787oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 10,000
KM# 178

📆 This Year In Philippine History

On November 13, 1936, the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language) was established. It was mandated to choose which native Philippine language would be used as the basis for the national language. In 1937, the Surian, under its first director, Jaime de Veyra, recommended that Tagalog be adopted as the national language.

Hence, in 1940, the Institute published an official grammar and dictionary, the Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (Grammar of the National Language), written by Lope K. Santos, and the Tagalog-English Vocabulary.

The Surian has contributed not only to the development of the national language, but also to the development of literature and literary criticism in Filipino through the publication of critical works, the giving of annual awards in poetry and essay, and the holding of forums, symposia, and seminars.

In 1987, by virtue of Executive Order No. 117 , the Surian became the Linangan ng mga Wika sa Pilipinas (Institute of Philippine Languages). It was again transformed into the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language) in August 1991, through Republic Act No. 7104 (implemented in 1992), which is tasked to undertake, coordinate and promote researches for the development, propagation and preservation of Filipino and other native Philippine languages.


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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 18:10, September 6, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-178-1936-cuid-1085665-duid-1568143

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 18:15, September 6, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces21146.html

Today in Philippine History, November 13, 1936, the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa was established, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1342/today-in-philippine-history-november-13-1936-the-surian-ng-wikang-pambansa-was-established
View Coin USPI - Common wealth United States PESO 1936 M USA-PHIL ROOSEVELT-QUEZON NGC MS 64 This coin was issued to commemorate the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth. It was designed by a University of the Philippines fine arts professor by the name of Ambrosio Morales, and is part of a non-circulating three-coin set struck at the Manila Mint.

The coin's obverse shows the left facing conjoined busts of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon. Surrounding them are the words, "Commonwealth of the Philippines" above, and the coin's denomination (one peso) below. Also above the busts is the date of the Commonwealth's creation: Nov. 15 1935.

The reverse features the Coat of Arms of the Philippine Commonwealth, surrounded by the legend " United States of America" above, and the mintage year (1936) below. The Commonwealth Coat of Arms consists of a five-pointed shield with an oval in the middle. This oval contains the arms of Manila with the castle of Spain and the sea lion prominently displayed. Above the oval, are three five-pointed stars representing the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao). Above the shield is the crest--an American eagle, the symbol of United States. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the words "Commonwealth of the Philippines".

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This coin has good, overall luster with an even strike. It shows delicate golden ambience in otherwise silver-white surfaces. Small patches of hairlines and occasional marks limit the grade, but it is still quite appealing and attractive overall.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5144oz
Diameter: 35mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 10,000
KM# 177


📆 This Year In Philippine History

On March 25, 1936, Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon issued Executive Order No. 23 which prescribed the technical description and specifications of the national flag.

The then existing design of the national flag was prescribed by General Emilio Aguinaldo who, during his exile in Hong Kong, requested Marcela Agoncillo to sew it. She was assisted by her daughter Lorenza and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad in the task.

This flag was first unfurled and raised on May 28, 1898 in the Teatro Caviteño in celebration of the first victory of the revolutionary army against Spain in the battle in Alapan, Imus, Cavite after the return of Aguinaldo from Hongkong. It was raised during the proclamation of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. Its last public display was made during the death of President Aguinaldo in 1964.

The banner was sewn with the triangle of the Masonry; three stars representing the main island groups of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao; and the mythical sun with a face and eight rays representing the first eight provinces that revolted against the Spanish rule. These provinces were Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac.

The present flag has adopted the features of all the previous Katipunan flags. Likewise, the banner is almost unchanged with President Quezon's specifications of the national flag, with a few exceptions, the most notable of which is the use of a plain sun without the face.

Retained are the white triangle, the sun and the stars and the blue and red stripes. The triangle stands for equality and its white color for purity. The blue stripe stands for peace and the red for courage.

The flag is unique in that it can indicate a state of war depending on the manner in which it is displayed -- in times of peace, the blue stripe is flown on top, but in times of war, the banner is inverted with the red strip on the top.

During the 1998 Centennial of the proclamation of Philippine Independence, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 8491, was passed, changing the shade of blue to royal blue.


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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, September 5, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 18:10, September 6, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-177-1936-cuid-1084666-duid-1518527

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 18:15, September 6, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces21145.html

Today in Philippine History, March 25, 1936, President Quezon issued EO No. 23 which prescribed the specifications of the national flag, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1038/today-in-philippine-history-march-25-1936-president-quezon-issued-eo-no-23-which-prescribed-the-specifications-of-the-national-flag
View Coin Republic PHILIPPINES PESO 1947S Philippine DOUGLAS MACARTHUR PCGS MS 66 This coin has the distinction of being the first one peso coin of the then newly independent Republic of the Philippines. It is not a business strike, but rather, a commemorative issue. Minted at the U.S. Mint's San Francisco facility, it commemorates the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese occupation forces by General Douglas MacArthur in 1944. As the inscription on the coin's obverse states, Gen. MacArthur was popularly considered to be country's "defender and liberator."

This coin was designed by America sculptor and medal designer, Laura Gardin Fraser (Her initials are under MacArthur's bust above the liberation date.) Unfortunately, despite being designed by very talented and prolific sculptor, these coins suffer from diminished eye appeal because they are not very sharply struck.

The obverse features the bust of General Douglas MacArthur facing right. Separated by that bust is his name and rank. Around the coin's periphery are the words, "DEFENDER AND LIBERATOR OF THE PHILIPPINES" Below the bust is the date, "Oct 20, 1944", which is when American forces, commanded by Gen MacArthur, began their return to the Philippines by landing on the island of Leyte.

The reverse bears the country name, mintage year, and the coin’s denomination. It also has the country’s then-coat of arms, which feature the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past.

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This coin exhibits shimmering luster with only a few marks over its blast white surfaces. All of these MacArthur coins are characterized by weak strikes, but overall, this coin shows superior quality and has the eye appeal of a Gem. This example, like its counterpart fifty centavo, is widely available and fairly priced, and rather common in Gem condition. I obtained this coin already graded.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.8000
Weight: 20.0000g
ASW: 0.5787oz
Diameter: 36mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 100,000
KM# 185


📆 Douglas MacArthur: A Brief History

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines Campaign, which made him and his father Arthur MacArthur Jr. the first father and son to be awarded the medal. He was one of only five to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the US Army, and the only one conferred the rank of field marshal in the Philippine Army.

MacArthur had been appointed military adviser to the Philippines in 1935. Even after his retirement from active military service in 1937, he remained in the islands as an adviser. Then, when World War II seemed imminent, he was called back into the service as commander of American forces in the Far East.

He was in command of the forces defending the Philippines in 1942 when the Japanese overran the islands. Before he left, MacArthur vowed that he would return, and two years later, after his landing on Leyte, he announced to the people of the Philippines "I have returned. By the grace of almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 17:50, November 25, 2021, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-185-1947-cuid-1084211-duid-1568147

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 18:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces12756.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, November 29). Douglas MacArthur. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:51, December 2, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Douglas_MacArthur&oldid=991390541
View Coin Republic - English Series PHILIPPINES S1P 1961 Philippine JOSE RIZAL NGC MS 65 This coin was minted at the U.S. Mint's largest facility, the Philadelphia Mint. It commemorates the birth centennial of Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines.

The obverse features Jose Rizal's bust separating the dates 1861 and 1961. The words Jose Rizal Centennial are inscribed around the top and National Hero below.

The reverse inscription on top is the issuing bank (Central Bank of the Philippines), and the coin’s denomination (One Peso) at the bottom. Prominently displayed on the center is the country’s then-coat of arms.

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With lustrous surfaces and well-struck devices, this coin is a flashy example of reflective, white mint brilliance. It has a few trivial contact marks scattered on the obverse and reverse—common for these coins. But overall, this coin shows superior quality and has the eye appeal of a Gem. This coin, like its counterpart birth centennial hero coins of the 60’s, is widely available and fairly priced, but could be difficult to find in Gem condition. I acquired this coin already graded and had it crossed-over. I was quite pleased with the result, as it became the first of its kind to be NGC-certified at this grade and also Top Pop. As of this writing it still at the top, sharing the spotlight with another (2/0).

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.0000g
ASW: 0.7523oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 100,000
KM# 192

📆 Jose Rizal: A Brief History

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is tagged as the national hero of the Filipino people. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement, which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.

He was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution, inspired in part by his writings, broke out. Though he was not actively involved in its planning or conduct, he ultimately approved of its goals which eventually led to Philippine independence.

He was the author of the novels Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo, and a number of poems and essays.

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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:45, November 24, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, November 24). José Rizal. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:38, November 24, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jos%C3%A9_Rizal&oldid=990309700

NGC. World Coin Price Guide. Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster). Retrieved 12:32, November 25, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-192-1961-cuid-1085377-duid-1535620

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 18:40, November 25, 2020, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces27450.html
View Coin Republic - English Series PHILIPPINES S1P 1963 Philippine ANDRES BONIFACIO NGC MS 66 This coin commemorates the birth centennial of Andres Bonifacio, a revolutionary leader and one of the national heroes of the Philippines.

The obverse features a quarter-facing bust of Bonifacio, separating the dates 1863 and 1963. The words Andres Bonifacio Centennial are inscribed around the top and National Hero below.

The reverse inscription on top is the issuing bank (Central Bank of the Philippines), and the coin’s denomination (One Peso) at the bottom. Prominently displayed on the center is the country’s then-coat of arms.

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Minted at the Royal Mint in England, this is a blast-white Gem because it has lustrous surfaces that are snow white. It is definitely a beautifully struck example of the “reform coinage” of the 60’s. It has few tiny abrasions scattered on the obverse and reverse—common for these coins. Overall, I would say this coin’s eye appeal is above average and very pleasing. I obtained this coin already graded and had it crossed-over. I was quite pleased with the result, as it became the first of its kind to be NGC-certified at this grade and Top Pop. As of this writing it is still Top Pop, sharing the spotlight with 5 others (5/0).

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.0000g
ASW: 0.7523oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 100,000
KM# 193

📆 Andres Bonifacio: A Brief History

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) was a Filipino revolutionary leader and the president of the Tagalog Republic. He is often called "The Father of the Philippine Revolution". He was one of the founders and later Supremo (Supreme Leader) of the Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or more commonly known as the "Katipunan", a movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution. He was also one of the Filipino historical figures to be recommended as a national hero of the Philippines.

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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 18:21, November 25, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-193-1963-cuid-1084212-duid-1536310

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 18:22, November 25, 2020, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces15259.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, November 19). Andrés Bonifacio. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:41, November 24, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andr%C3%A9s_Bonifacio&oldid=989494117
View Coin Republic - English Series PHILIPPINES S1P 1964 Philippine APOLINARIO MABINI NGC MS 65 This coin was minted at the Royal Mint, in England. It commemorates the birth centennial of Aponilario Mabini, a Filipino revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Revolutionary Government, and then as the first Prime Minister of the Philippines upon the establishment of the First Philippine Republic. He is regarded as the "brain of the revolution.”

The obverse features a quarter-facing bust of Mabini, separating the dates 1864 and 1964. The words Aponilario Mabini Centennial are inscribed around the top and National Hero below.

The reverse inscription on top is the issuing bank (Central Bank of the Philippines), and the coin’s denomination (One Peso) at the bottom. Prominently displayed on the center is the country’s then-coat of arms.

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This delicately toned coin has shimmering, light brown-toned luster. The design elements are well defined, accented by its eye-appealing patina. Some scattered fingerprints distract, but the overall quality is outstanding. I obtained this coin raw and submitted it for encapsulation, and I was pleased with the resulting grade, as it became the first of its kind to be NGC-certified at this grade, and the sole Top Pop coin at the time. But that was a few years ago. As of this writing, a few others have pushed the envelope to new heights.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.0000g
ASW: 0.7653oz
Diameter: 38 mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 100,000
KM# 194

📆 Aponilario Mabini: A Brief History

Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Revolutionary Government, and then as the first Prime Minister of the Philippines upon the establishment of the First Philippine Republic.

Born on July 23, 1864, Mabini is regarded as the "utak ng himagsikan" or "brain of the revolution" and is also to be considered to be as a national hero in the Philippines. Mabini's work and thoughts on the government shaped the Philippines' fight for independence over the next century.

Two of his works, El Verdadero Decálogo (The True Decalogue, June 24, 1898), and Programa Constitucional de la República Filipina (The Constitutional Program of the Philippine Republic, 1898) became instrumental in the drafting of what would eventually be known as the Malolos Constitution.

Mabini performed all his revolutionary and governmental activities despite having lost the use of both his legs to polio shortly before the Philippine Revolution of 1896.

Mabini's role in Philippine history saw him confronting first Spanish colonial rule in the opening days of the Philippine Revolution, and then American colonial rule in the days of the Philippine–American War. The latter saw Mabini captured and exiled to Guam by American colonial authorities, allowed to return only two months before his eventual death in May 1903.

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📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 16:05, December 1, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-195-1967-cuid-1084213-duid-1538024

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 16:08, December 1, 2020, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces34522.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 27). Apolinario Mabini. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:12, November 29, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apolinario_Mabini&oldid=1057414562
View Coin Republic - English Series PHILIPPINES PESO 1967 Philippine BATAAN ANNIVERSARY SILVER NGC PL 66 This coin commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Bataan Day, or "Araw ng Kagitingan" (Filipino for Day of Valor) as the event is now called in the Philippines. The day is observed every year on April 9th in honor of the day Bataan province fell to the Japanese in 1942, and also to commemorate the the Fall of Corregidor Island (6 May 1942).

The coin's obverse features a broken flaming sword from the coat of arms of Bataan province, signifying the Battle of Bataan (7 January – 9 April 1942). The Sampaguita wreath immortalizes the sword and symbolically, the fallen heroes of Bataan.

The reverse inscription on top is the issuing country (Republic of the Philippines), and the coin’s denomination (One Peso) at the bottom. Prominently displayed on the center is the country’s then-coat of arms.

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This coin comes in a proof-like finish and was minted at the San Francisco mint. It is an excellent Premium Gem example in my opinion. The strike is sharp and the fields shine with glasslike reflectivity. Both sides have fully brilliant silver surfaces, enhancing the coin’s overall quality and aesthetic appeal. There are no major marks or abrasions seen—just a few tiny ticks on the devices. I obtained the coin raw and has it slabbed, pleased with the results. It was Top Pop at the time (even with a dozen others). As of this writing there are over two dozen sharing its grade, and a handful that have surpassed it.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.0000g
ASW: 0.7653oz
Diameter: 38.1mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 100,000
KM# 195


📆 The Bataan and Corregidor Battles: Brief Histories

The Battle of Bataan (7 January – 9 April 1942) was a battle fought by the United States and the Philippine Commonwealth against Japan during World War II. The battle represented the most intense phase of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II. In January 1942, forces of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy invaded Luzon along with several islands in the Philippine Archipelago after the bombing of the American naval base at Pearl Harbor.

The Commander-In-Chief of all U.S. and Filipino forces in the islands, General Douglas MacArthur, consolidated all of his Luzon-based units on the Bataan Peninsula to fight against the Japanese army. By this time, the Japanese controlled nearly all of Southeast Asia. The Bataan Peninsula and the island of Corregidor were the only remaining Allied strongholds in the region.

Despite a lack of supplies, American and Filipino forces managed to fight the Japanese for three months, engaging them initially in a fighting retreat southward. As the combined American and Filipino forces made a last stand, the delay cost the Japanese valuable time and prevented immediate victory across the Pacific. The American surrender at Bataan to the Japanese, with 76,000 soldiers surrendering in the Philippines altogether, was the largest in American and Filipino military histories, and was the largest United States surrender since the American Civil War's Battle of Harper's Ferry. Soon afterwards, U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war were forced into the Bataan Death March.

The fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942, ended all organized opposition by the U.S. Army Forces Far East to the invading Japanese forces on Luzon, in the northern Philippines. The island bastion of Corregidor, with its network of tunnels and formidable array of defensive armament, along with the fortifications across the entrance to Manila Bay, was the remaining obstacle to the 14th Japanese Imperial Army of Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma. Homma had to take Corregidor, since as long as the island remained in American hands, the Japanese would be denied the use of Manila Bay, the finest natural harbor in the Far East.

The U.S. Army recaptured the island in 1945.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 14:48, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-peso-km-195-1967-cuid-1084213-duid-1538024

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 14:50, November 30, 2020, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces18100.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2019, October 14). Battle of Bataan. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:29, December 1, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Bataan&oldid=921171774

Wikipedia contributors. (2019, October 12). Battle of Corregidor. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:32, December 1, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Corregidor&oldid=920807562
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES S1P 1969 Philippine EMILIO AGUINALDO NGC PL 66 This coin commemorates the birth centennial of Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary, politician, and military leader. The obverse features his bust dividing the dates. Around the coin starting from the top: the Filipino words "IKASANDAANG TAONG KAARAWAN" which translate to CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY, and EMILIO AGUINALDO on the bottom. The reverse inscription on top is Republika Ng Pilipinas, and the coin’s denomination (Piso) at the bottom. Prominently displayed on the center is the country’s coat of arms.

🔎
Minted in San Francisco, this coin comes in a proof-like finish. It shows an attractive high quality of luster partly due to its finish and from proper handling and storage. The coin’s quality is above average and its eye appeal is very pleasing—something which is not easy to capture in pictures. The few contact marks it has are scattered on both sides and amplified by the light and shadows, as well as the slab scratches in the image. As an upgrade, I acquired this coin already slabbed. It was Top Pop at the time, sharing the spotlight with a handful of others. As of this update, there are at least a dozen with it, and two a grade above.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.4500g
ASW: 0.7653oz
Diameter: 38mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 100,000
KM# 201

📆 Emilio Aguinaldo: A Brief History

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, politician, and military leader who is officially recognized as the first and the youngest President of the Philippines (1899–1901) and the first president of a constitutional republic in Asia. He led Philippine forces first against Spain in the latter part of the Philippine Revolution (1896–1898), then in the Spanish–American War (1898), and finally against the United States during the Philippine–American War (1899–1901).

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 2). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:30, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=960391269

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 12:32, November 25, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-201-1969-cuid-1085669-duid-1519568

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 12:40, November 25, 2020, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces30720.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, November 24). Emilio Aguinaldo. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:41, November 25, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emilio_Aguinaldo&oldid=990399972
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1970 GOLD Philippine POPE PAUL VI VISIT NGC PF 67 This coin commemorates Pope Paul VI’s first visit to the Philippines on Nov 27-30, 1970. The obverse features the bust of the Pope with his name, “PAPA PAULO VI” inscribed on the right side. It also has Frank Gasparro’s initials on the bottom left of the bust. He was the chief engraver of the U.S. Mint at that time. The inscription around the coin in Filipino reads, “Visit of the Pope to the Philippines.” This coin was minted at the Sherritt Mint in Canada.

The reverse features the bust of Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Inscription in Filipino reads, “President of the Philippines.”

On June 23, 1970, the Holy Father announced his intent to visit Asia and Oceania in order to study the problems facing the Church in these regions. In the Philippines, bulwark of Christianity in Asia, the Holy Father will address the Bishops’ Meeting in Manila which has for its themes the “Socio-Economic Development of Asian Peoples” and the “Pastoral Care of University Students.”

🔎
This coin is awash in gorgeous satiny mint luster, radiating an attractive yellow-gold color. The surfaces are immaculate with only few blemishes visible. Overall, this coin’s quality is above average and eye appeal is very pleasing. I acquired this coin already graded.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Gold
Fineness: 0.9170
Weight: 19.3000g
ASW: 0.5690oz
Diameter: 32mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 1,000
KM# 202b


📆 A Brief History of Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in 1978. Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council, which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms. He fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements.

Pope Paul VI was born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, on 26 September 1897. He served in the Holy See's Secretariat of State from 1922 to 1954. While in the Secretariat of State, Montini and Domenico Tardini were considered to be the closest and most influential advisors of Pope Pius XII. In 1954, Pius named Montini Archbishop of Milan, the largest Italian diocese. Montini later became the Secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference. John XXIII elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 1958, and after the death of John XXIII, Montini was considered one of his most likely successors. Upon his election to the papacy, Montini took the name Paul VI.

He re-convened the Second Vatican Council, which had automatically closed with the death of John XXIII. After the council had concluded its work, Paul VI took charge of the interpretation and implementation of its mandates, often walking a thin line between the conflicting expectations of various groups within Catholicism. The magnitude and depth of the reforms affecting all fields of church life during his pontificate exceeded similar reform programs of his predecessors and successors. Paul VI spoke repeatedly to Marian conventions and Mariological meetings, visited Marian shrines and issued three Marian encyclicals. Following Ambrose of Milan, he named Mary as the Mother of the Church during the Second Vatican Council. Paul VI described himself as a humble servant for a suffering humanity and demanded significant changes from the rich in North America and Europe in favor of the poor in the Third World. His positions on birth control, promulgated famously in the 1968 encyclical Humanae vitae, were often contested, especially in Western Europe and North America. The same opposition emerged in reaction to the political aspects of some of his teaching.

On 6 August 1978 at 21:41 Paul VI died in Castel Gandolfo. According to the terms of his will, he was buried in the "true earth" and therefore, he does not have an ornate sarcophagus but is buried in a grave beneath the floor of Saint Peter's Basilica, though in an area of the basilica's crypt near the tombs of other popes.

Following the standard procedures that lead to sainthood, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the late pontiff had lived a life of heroic virtue and conferred the title of Venerable upon him on 20 December 2012. Pope Francis beatified him on 19 October 2014 after the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. His liturgical feast was celebrated on the date of his birth on 26 September until 2019 when it was changed to the date of his sacerdotal ordination on 29 May. Pope Francis canonized Paul VI on 14 October 2018.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Insert, 2-coin commemorative set issued by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 28). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:35, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=1057517579

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 10:45, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-202b-1970-cuid-1085359-duid-1519617

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 10:22, November 30, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces27644.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 15). Pope Paul VI. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:57, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pope_Paul_VI&oldid=1055348557
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1970 NICKEL Philippine POPE PAUL VI VISIT NGC MS 66 Made of pure nickel, this coin commemorates Pope Paul VI’s first visit to the Philippines on Nov 27-30, 1970. The obverse features the bust of the Pope with his name, “PAPA PAULO VI” inscribed on the right side. It also has Frank Gasparro’s initials on the bottom left of the bust. He was the chief engraver of the U.S. Mint at that time. The inscription around the coin in Filipino reads, “Visit of the Pope to the Philippines.”

The reverse features the bust of Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Inscription in Filipino reads, “President of the Philippines.”

This coin and the gold version (KM# 202b), were minted at the Sherritt Mint in Canada.

🔎
This coin has full mint luster and is very well-struck with not many distracting marks, despite the way it is photographed. It has very pleasing eye appeal for a coin of this series. This type of coin is widely available and fairly priced. As an upgrade, I acquired this coin already slabbed. It was Top Pop at the time with three others, but as of this update, there are seven at the current grade, and two above.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Nickel
Weight: 23.2000g
Diameter: 38.3mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 70,000
KM# 202

📆 A Brief History of Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in 1978. Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council, which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms. He fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements.

Pope Paul VI was born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, on 26 September 1897. He served in the Holy See's Secretariat of State from 1922 to 1954. While in the Secretariat of State, Montini and Domenico Tardini were considered to be the closest and most influential advisors of Pope Pius XII. In 1954, Pius named Montini Archbishop of Milan, the largest Italian diocese. Montini later became the Secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference. John XXIII elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 1958, and after the death of John XXIII, Montini was considered one of his most likely successors. Upon his election to the papacy, Montini took the name Paul VI.

He re-convened the Second Vatican Council, which had automatically closed with the death of John XXIII. After the council had concluded its work, Paul VI took charge of the interpretation and implementation of its mandates, often walking a thin line between the conflicting expectations of various groups within Catholicism. The magnitude and depth of the reforms affecting all fields of church life during his pontificate exceeded similar reform programs of his predecessors and successors. Paul VI spoke repeatedly to Marian conventions and Mariological meetings, visited Marian shrines and issued three Marian encyclicals. Following Ambrose of Milan, he named Mary as the Mother of the Church during the Second Vatican Council. Paul VI described himself as a humble servant for a suffering humanity and demanded significant changes from the rich in North America and Europe in favor of the poor in the Third World. His positions on birth control, promulgated famously in the 1968 encyclical Humanae vitae, were often contested, especially in Western Europe and North America. The same opposition emerged in reaction to the political aspects of some of his teaching.

On 6 August 1978 at 21:41 Paul VI died in Castel Gandolfo. According to the terms of his will, he was buried in the "true earth" and therefore, he does not have an ornate sarcophagus but is buried in a grave beneath the floor of Saint Peter's Basilica, though in an area of the basilica's crypt near the tombs of other popes.

Following the standard procedures that lead to sainthood, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the late pontiff had lived a life of heroic virtue and conferred the title of Venerable upon him on 20 December 2012. Pope Francis beatified him on 19 October 2014 after the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. His liturgical feast was celebrated on the date of his birth on 26 September until 2019 when it was changed to the date of his sacerdotal ordination on 29 May. Pope Francis canonized Paul VI on 14 October 2018.
____________________
📖 Information sources:

Insert, 2-coin commemorative set issued by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 28). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:35, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=1057517579

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 10:45, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-202-1970-cuid-1112363-duid-1568230

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 10:22, November 30, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces32568.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 15). Pope Paul VI. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:57, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pope_Paul_VI&oldid=1055348557
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1970 SILVER Philippine POPE PAUL VI VISIT NGC MS 65 This coin commemorates Pope Paul VI’s first visit to the Philippines on Nov 27-30, 1970. The obverse features the bust of the Pope with his name, “PAPA PAULO VI” inscribed on the right side. It also has Frank Gasparro’s initials on the bottom left of the bust. He was the chief engraver of the U.S. Mint at that time.
The inscription around the coin in Filipino reads, “Visit of the Pope to the Philippines.” This coin was minted at the U.S. Mint in San Francisco.

The reverse features the bust of Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Inscription in Filipino reads, “President of the Philippines.”

According to the insert in a Postal Numismatic Cover made by the 99 Company of San Clemente, California, "The coin’s die, used to make both the silver and nickel coins, was rushed to the Sherritt Mint of Canada so it could be struck in time for the pontiff’s arrival."

On June 23, 1970, the Holy Father announced his intent to visit Asia and Oceania in order to study the problems facing the Church in these regions. In the Philippines, bulwark of Christianity in Asia, the Holy Father will address the Bishops’ Meeting in Manila which has for its themes the “Socio-Econimic Development of Asian Peoples” and the “Pastoral Care of University Students.”

🔎
This coin shows an attractive high quality of luster and strike. It has few, small contact marks scattered on the obverse and reverse but overall, this coin’s quality is above average and eye appeal is very pleasing. I acquired this coin raw and had it slabbed. I am happy with the grade it received.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Silver
Fineness: 0.9000
Weight: 26.4500g
ASW: 0.7653oz
Diameter: 38.3mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 30,000
KM# 202a


📆 A Brief History of Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in 1978. Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council, which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms. He fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements.

Pope Paul VI was born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, on 26 September 1897. He served in the Holy See's Secretariat of State from 1922 to 1954. While in the Secretariat of State, Montini and Domenico Tardini were considered to be the closest and most influential advisors of Pope Pius XII. In 1954, Pius named Montini Archbishop of Milan, the largest Italian diocese. Montini later became the Secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference. John XXIII elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 1958, and after the death of John XXIII, Montini was considered one of his most likely successors. Upon his election to the papacy, Montini took the name Paul VI.

He re-convened the Second Vatican Council, which had automatically closed with the death of John XXIII. After the council had concluded its work, Paul VI took charge of the interpretation and implementation of its mandates, often walking a thin line between the conflicting expectations of various groups within Catholicism. The magnitude and depth of the reforms affecting all fields of church life during his pontificate exceeded similar reform programs of his predecessors and successors. Paul VI spoke repeatedly to Marian conventions and Mariological meetings, visited Marian shrines and issued three Marian encyclicals. Following Ambrose of Milan, he named Mary as the Mother of the Church during the Second Vatican Council. Paul VI described himself as a humble servant for a suffering humanity and demanded significant changes from the rich in North America and Europe in favor of the poor in the Third World. His positions on birth control, promulgated famously in the 1968 encyclical Humanae vitae, were often contested, especially in Western Europe and North America. The same opposition emerged in reaction to the political aspects of some of his teaching.

On 6 August 1978 at 21:41 Paul VI died in Castel Gandolfo. According to the terms of his will, he was buried in the "true earth" and therefore, he does not have an ornate sarcophagus but is buried in a grave beneath the floor of Saint Peter's Basilica, though in an area of the basilica's crypt near the tombs of other popes.

Following the standard procedures that lead to sainthood, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the late pontiff had lived a life of heroic virtue and conferred the title of Venerable upon him on 20 December 2012. Pope Francis beatified him on 19 October 2014 after the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. His liturgical feast was celebrated on the date of his birth on 26 September until 2019 when it was changed to the date of his sacerdotal ordination on 29 May. Pope Francis canonized Paul VI on 14 October 2018.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Insert, 2-coin commemorative set issued by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 28). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:35, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=1057517579

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 10:45, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-202b-1970-cuid-1085359-duid-1519617

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 10:22, November 30, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces27644.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 15). Pope Paul VI. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:57, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pope_Paul_VI&oldid=1055348557
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1972 Philippine NGC MS 64 This is the first business strike peso coin of the Republic. It was designed by Frank Gasparro, the U.S. Mint's then-Chief Coin Designer and Engraver. His initials are on the neck of the bust on the obverse. This coin was minted at the U.S. Mint's Denver facility.

The obverse features the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines. It also has the coin’s denomination, “Piso.”

The reverse bears Country’s name, the mintage year, and the issuing bank. It also has the country’s coat of arms, which feature the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the inscription in Filipno, "Republika Ng Pilipinas."

🔎
This coin good overall average luster and an even strike. Small contact marks are scattered on the obverse and reverse. Overall, this coin is attractive with pleasing eye appeal for the grade. This type of coin is widely available and fairly priced. I acquired this coin already slabbed.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-Nickel-Zinc
Weight: 15.0000g
Diameter: 33mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 150,000,000*
KM# 203
*121,821,000 struck in 1972 plus an additional 28,179,000 struck in Jan-Mar of 1973 (all coins have 1972 as the date).


📆 This Year in Philippine History

On September 21, 1972 President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law, suspending the civil rights and imposing military authority. Congress was also abolished.

September 21 is the official date of the declaration but was formally announced live on TV and radio on September 23. At 7:17 pm, President Ferdinand Marcos announced that he had placed the entirety of the Philippines under martial law. This marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule that would effectively last until Marcos was exiled from the country on February 25, 1986. Even though the formal document proclaiming martial law – Proclamation No. 1081, which was dated September 21, 1972 – was formally lifted on January 17, 1981, Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted.

When he declared martial law in 1972, Marcos claimed that he had done so in response to the "communist threat" posed by the newly founded Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the sectarian "rebellion" of the Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM). Opposition figures of the time, such as Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, and Jovito Salonga, accused Marcos of exaggerating these threats, using them as a convenient excuse to consolidate power and extend his tenure beyond the two presidential terms allowed by the 1935 constitution.

Numerous explanations have been put forward as reasons for Marcos to declare martial law, some of which were presented by the Marcos administration as official justifications, and some of which were dissenting perspectives put forward by either the mainstream political opposition or by analysts studying the political economy of the decision.

In his 1987 treatise, "Dictatorship & Martial Law: Philippine Authoritarianism in 1972", University of the Philippines Public Administration Professor Alex Brillantes Jr. identifies three reasons expressed by the Marcos administration, saying that martial law:

1. was a response to various leftist and rightist plots against the Marcos administration;

2. was just the consequence of political decay after American-style democracy failed to take root in Philippine society; and

3. was a reflection of Filipino society's history of authoritarianism and supposed need for iron-fisted leadership.

The first two justifications were explicitly stated in the proclamation, which cited two explicit justifications: "to save the republic" (from various plots); and "to reform society" (after the failure of American-style democracy). The third rationalization arose from the administration's propaganda, which portrayed Ferdinand Marcos as a hypermasculine figure able to compel the obedience of supposedly "spoiled" Filipinos.

Opposition to Marcos' declaration of martial law ran the whole gamut of Philippine society - ranging from impoverished peasants whom the administration tried to chase out of their homes; to the Philippines' political old-guard, whom Marcos had tried to displace from power; to academics and economists who disagreed with the specifics of Marcos' martial law policies. All of these, regardless of their social position or policy beliefs, subscribed to the interpretation that Marcos declared martial law:

1. as a strategy to enable Ferdinand Marcos to stay in power past the two Presidential terms allowed him under Philippine Constitution of 1935

2. as a technique for covering up the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos, his family, and his cronies.

In addition, some critics who ascribe an economic component to Marcos' motivations, suggesting that martial law:

1. was an acquiescence to the global market system, which required tight control of sociopolitical systems so that the country's resources could be exploited efficiently;

2. was a product of the infighting among the families that formed the upper socioeconomic class of Philippine society; and

3. was a connivance between the state powers and the upper-class families to keep the members of the country's lower classes from becoming too powerful.

President Marcos formally lifted Martial Law on January 17, 1981, several weeks before the first pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II to the Philippines. Experts concluded that the dictatorship was still in effect despite the formal announcement, until the organized EDSA Revolution of 1986 forced the Marcoses out of Malacañang Palace.


____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 28). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:35, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=1057517579

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 10:05, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-203-1972-1974-cuid-1112364-duid-1519618

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 10:15, November 30, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3749.html

Today in Philippine History, September 21, 1972. Retrieved 18:14, October 16, 2022, from
https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/627/today-in-philippine-history-on-september-21-1972-president-ferdinand-e-marcos-placed-the-philippines-under-martial-law

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 15). Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:32, October 16, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martial_law_under_Ferdinand_Marcos&oldid=1116279721

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 4). Proclamation No. 1081. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:44, October 16, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proclamation_No._1081&oldid=1114046412
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1974 Philippine NGC MS 65 This is the second business strike peso coin of the Republic. It was designed by Frank Gasparro, the U.S. Mint's then-Chief Coin Designer and Engraver. His initials are on the neck of the bust on the obverse. This coin was minted at the U.S. Mint's Denver and San Francisco facilities.

The obverse features the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines. It also has the coin’s denomination, “Piso.”

The reverse bears Country’s name, the mintage year, and the issuing bank. It also has the country’s coat of arms, which feature the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the inscription in Filipno, "Republika Ng Pilipinas."

🔎
This coin shows an attractive high quality of luster and strike. For me it is a stunning piece boasting glossy surfaces that radiate an opulence of light golden tone. It has a few scattered contact marks commensurate with the grade, but overall, the quality is above average and eye appeal is very pleasing. I acquired this coin already slabbed and as of this writing, it is the first of its kind to be NGC-certified at this grade, and is the only one in this top grade with none graded finer: Top Pop (1/0).

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-Nickel-Zinc
Weight: 15.0000g
Diameter: 33mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 65,002,178*
KM# 203

* 9,127,000 struck at the Denver Mint;10,244,000 struck at the San Francisco Mint; 10,873,178 struck at the Denver Mint in 1975 (but dated 1974); 34,758,000 struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1975 (but dated 1974).


📆 This Year in Philippine History

On June 27, 1974, Filipino Chess Master Eugene Torre became Asia's first grandmaster by drawing with American Grandmaster Robert Byrne at the 21st Chess Olympiad in Nice, France.

Torre, in a tournament in Manila in 1976, was then the only one to beat the then-reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a game that has become part of Filipino chess history. In 1982 he gained a spot in the World Chess Championship candidates matches, where he lost to Zoltán Ribli.

Torre was a friend of Bobby Fischer. He worked on Fischer's team in the 1992 rematch with Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia. Much later, Torre conducted interviews with Fischer on Filipino radio dzRH MBC Sports Center. Those interviews gained notoriety for Fischer and despair for his fans as he believed he would be killed in the United States after being deported from Japan.

Born on November 4, 1951 in Iloilo City, Torre is considered the best chess player the Philippines ever produced.

The former Business Administration undergraduate from Mapua Institute of Technology also has the distinction of being the first Asian player to earn the much-coveted title of International Grandmaster.

Torre was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2021.


____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 26). José Rizal. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:29, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jos%C3%A9_Rizal&oldid=1057246053

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, July 15). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:19, October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=1098379145

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 10:05, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-203-1972-1974-cuid-1112364-duid-1519618

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 10:15, November 30, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3749.html

1 Piso Pilipino Series Coin. Numismatics Philippines. Retrieved 19:14, October 9, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/pilipino-series/1-piso.html

Today in Philippine History, June 27, 1974. Retrieved 22:35, October 8, 2022, from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1205/today-in-philippine-history-june-27-1974-filipino-chess-master-eugene-torre-became-asias-first-grandmaster
View Coin Republic - Pilipino Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1974 Philippine NGC PF 67 CAMEO This is the first proof one peso (piso) coin of the Republic. It was designed by Frank Gasparro, the U.S. Mint's then-Chief Coin Designer and Engraver. His initials are on the neck of the bust on the obverse. This coin was minted at the U.S. Mint's San Francisco facility.

The obverse features the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines. It also has the coin’s denomination, “Piso.”

The reverse bears Country’s name, the mintage year, and the issuing bank. It also has the country’s coat of arms, which feature the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the inscription in Filipno, "Republika Ng Pilipinas."

In 1974, at the request of the Central Bank, the San Francisco Mint produced a Philippine proof set. It was packaged in a style similar to the proof sets it had made for the 1968-1972 US coins. These sets, along with many of the 1974-dated coins, were actually minted in 1975.

Unfortunately, perhaps while sending them to the Philippines or shortly thereafter, the shipment was either dropped or bumped, resulting in many of the proof set's cases being slightly cracked, consequently letting in the hot and humid ambient air of the Philippines. Worse still, the blue-colored cardboard used to support and frame the coins interacted chemically with some of the coins as the surrounding ambient moisture seeped in. This chemical interaction affected the brass 5 Sentimo coins the most, causing practically all specimens to become corroded.

The cupro-nickel denominations typically suffer only from a cloudy white coloring, worse near the edges where the cardboard holds the coins. As a consequence, this environmental damage rendered these proof sets basically unsalable, and none of the 10,000 of these sets made was ever officially released.

🔎
This coin has pristine Cameo surfaces that show vivid contrast between the mirrored fields and frosted devices. It has a sharp strike with full, original luster, and a few scattered contact marks commensurate with the grade. It also has some hazing around the periphery, but nothing that a little conservation can't remedy. Overall, the quality is above average and eye appeal is very pleasing. The proof sets are a bit scarce, especially ones in very good condition. I acquired this coin as part of a proof set and had it graded.


⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-Nickel-Zinc
Weight: 15.0000g
Diameter: 33mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬇️
Mintage: 10,000
KM# 203



📆 This Year in Philippine History

On 21 July 1974, the 23rd Miss Universe pageant was held at the Folk Arts Theater in Manila, Philippines. It was the first Miss Universe pageant to ever be held in the Philippines, and by extension, Southeast Asia.

Then outgoing Miss Universe Margarita Moran of the Philippines crowned her successor, the tearful Miss Muñoz, at the conclusion of a two-hour telecast.

There were 65 delegates from around the world who competed for the 1974 title.

Notably, the first Miss Universe (1952), Armi Kuusela of Finland, 1967 Miss Universe Sylvia Hitchcock of the United States, and 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz of the Philippines graced the event. The event was hosted by Bob Barker and Helen O'Connell and was attended by an estimated 10,000 crowd and broadcast live by CBS and Radio Philippines Network.

The venue of the event, the Folk Arts Theater near the famed Manila Bay, was commissioned by then First Lady Imelda R. Marcos and was built for only 90 days in time for the pageant. It was inaugurated on July 7, 1974.

Manila again hosted the event 20 years later, when it became the host city for the Miss Universe 1994 pageant.


____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 26). José Rizal. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:29, November 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jos%C3%A9_Rizal&oldid=1057246053

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, July 15). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:19, October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale&oldid=1098379145

Source: Ubipetrus. (2018, June 21). History of All Philippine Coins #4: Pilipino & Bagong Lipunan Eras [Forum post] Retrieved May 3, 2019, from http://filipinonumismatist.forumotion.com/t584-history-of-all-philippine-coins#3693

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 10:05, November 30, 2020, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-203-1972-1974-cuid-1112364-duid-1519618

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 10:15, November 30, 2021, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3749.html

Today in Philippine History, June 27, 1974. Retrieved 22:38, October 8, 2022, from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1563/today-in-philippine-history-july-14-1974-miss-universe-pageant-opened-at-the-folk-arts-theater

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 20). Miss Universe 1974. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:42, October 8, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miss_Universe_1974&oldid=1111348171
View Coin Republic - ABL Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1975FM Philippine NGC MS 70 DPL This coin was was minted by The Franklin Mint under the authorization of the Central Bank of the Philippines. Three varieties of this coin were struck: Proof, Brilliant Uncirculated, and Matte. This particular coin is of the BU variety, which is very similar to a proof coin except that all of the surfaces (field and relief) are equally smooth and mirror-like. Those unfamiliar with these Franklin Mint varieties often mistake these BU coins for proofs, which differ in that the relief is frosted.

The obverse features the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines. To the right of the bust is the coin's denomination, 1 Piso, and below is his name, Jose Rizal. On the coin's top is the country's name, "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS".

The reverse bears the country’s coat of arms in the center. It features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the inscription " RUPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS”. Around the coin are the words "ANG BAGONG LIPUNAN" on top, which is Pilipino for "The New Society". On the bottom is the issuing bank's name, "BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS". The coin's date, 1975, is divided by the shield.


🔎
This is a perfect coin as the grade indicates. It doesn’t show any trace of wear, handling, scratches or contact with other coins. Although it isn’t quite captured by the camera, the coin’s strike is sharp, and it radiates full original luster, with exceptional eye appeal. This type of coin is not that common and is usually only found in the Special Uncirculated set, but once in a while it becomes available for auction or sale by itself. Due to the low mintage, this coin is priced higher than other piso coins of the series. I had this coin in my collection and decided to have it graded so I could showcase it in the registry. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the grade it received, which, as of this writing, is Top Pop (1/0). This coin also has the distinction of being the first of its kind to be NGC-certified at this grade.

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-Nickel
Weight: 9.5000g
Diameter: 29mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬆️
Mintage: 37,000
KM# 209.1


📆 This Year in Philippine History

On October 1, 1975, the “Thrilla in Manila” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier III was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. This bout was the third and final boxing match between WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. The venue was temporarily renamed as the "Philippine Coliseum" for this match. Ali won by technical knockout (TKO) after Frazier's chief second, Eddie Futch, asked the referee to stop the fight after the 14th round. The contest's name is derived from Ali's rhyming boast that the fight would be "a killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manila."

The bout is almost universally regarded as one of the best and most brutal fights in boxing history, and was the culmination of a three-bout rivalry between the two fighters that Ali won, 2–1. Some sources estimate the fight was watched by 1 billion viewers, including 100 million viewers watching the fight on closed-circuit theatre television, and 500,000 pay-per-view buys on HBO home cable television.

In order to accommodate an international viewing audience, the fight took place at 10:00 a.m. local time. Though it served the business interests of the fight, it was detrimental to the fighters. Ali's ring physician, Ferdie Pacheco, said "At 10:00 a.m. the stickiness of the night was still there, but cooked by the sun. So, what you got is boiling water for atmosphere." Denise Menz, who was part of Frazier's contingent, said of the conditions inside the aluminum-roofed Philippine Coliseum: "It was so intensely hot, I've never before felt heat like that in my life. Not a breath of air—nothing. And that was sitting there. Can you imagine being in the ring? I don't know how they did it." Frazier estimated the ring temperature at more than 120 °F (49 °C), including heat from TV lights. Ali said that he lost 5 pounds (2.3 kg) during the fight due to dehydration.

When the fighters and their cornermen met at the center of the ring for the referee's instructions, Ali continued his verbal assault on Joe Frazier.

Ali was sharp early, as the slow-starting Frazier could not bob and weave his way inside of Ali's jab. Ali won the first two rounds.

Ali also continued to attack his opponent verbally, most noticeably in the 3rd round when he was performing well and had plenty of energy. Referee Carlos Padilla said, "During the fight [Ali] would say 'Ah one ah two and a three...Jack be nimble and Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick. Is that all you can give? Come on, you ugly gorilla—hit me!'" Several times, Ali made circular hand gestures at Frazier to encourage him closer.

During round 3, Ali began using the "rope-a-dope", a strategy in which he used the ropes for support and rest while allowing his opponent to expend energy throwing punches. But Frazier landed his first good body punches of the fight in the 3rd round with Ali pinned in the corner.

During the fifth round, Frazier's timing and the rhythm of his bobbing and weaving improved. He was able to avoid the oncoming fists of the champion and, for the first time in the fight, land solid left hooks to Ali's head. Ali spent much of the round along the ropes.

Indeed, shortly after the bell rang to start the 6th round Frazier landed a thunderous left hook which thudded against the right side of Ali's face. Ali was knocked back by the force of the blow, and landed in the ropes behind him. He did not appear dazed or groggy, but was visibly stiff in his body movements while backing away from the oncoming Frazier, and continuing to throw punches of his own. Seconds later, Frazier landed a tremendous, whipping left hook to Ali's head. Again, Ali landed in the ropes behind him, but he only gave the appearance of being slightly dazed, and stiff legged. Though he had taken blows that would have felled a lesser or less committed fighter, Ali remained standing and was able to finish the round without being knocked down.

As the bout wore on it became clear that despite his belief in the utility of the rope-a-dope, when Ali had his back against the ropes, Frazier had the advantage. Smokin' Joe was able to wear down his opponent with body punches, left hooks to the head, and occasionally, short, chopping right hands.

At the close of a very trying ninth round, a visibly tired Ali went back to his corner, and told his trainer: "Man, this is the closest I've ever been to dying." In the opposite corner, Frazier was suffering from pronounced swelling about the face—the result of an accumulation of scores of punches exclusively aimed at his head, increasingly hampering his vision.

British sportswriter Frank McGhee ringside for the Daily Mirror describes the final rounds:

"The main turning point of the fight came very late. It came midway through the thirteenth round when one of two tremendous right-hand smashes sent the gum shield sailing out of Frazier's mouth. The sight of this man actually moving backwards seemed to inspire Ali. I swear he hit Frazier with thirty tremendous punches—each one as hard as those which knocked out George Foreman in Zaire—during the fourteenth round. He was dredging up all his own last reserves of power to make sure there wouldn't have to be a fifteenth round."

Seeing the results of round 14, Eddie Futch decided to stop the fight between rounds rather than risk a similar or worse fate for Frazier in the 15th. Frazier protested stopping the fight, shouting "I want him, boss," and trying to get Futch to change his mind. Futch replied, "It's all over. No one will forget what you did here today", and signaled to referee Carlos Padilla, Jr., to end the bout.

Padilla, who scored the fight, and the ringside judges had Ali ahead by a comfortable margin on points but many of the ringside press had the fight scored much closer. The Associated Press had the fight even after 14 rounds.


____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, July 15). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:36, September 12, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 19:45, October 9, 2022, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-209.1-1975-1978-cuid-1084805-duid-1568232

Philippine Coin Catalog. 1 Piso Ang Bagong Lipunan Series Coin. Numismatics Philippines. Retrieved 19:42, October 9, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/ang-bagong-lipunan-series/1-piso.html

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 19:40, October 9, 2022, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3748.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 1). Thrilla in Manila. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:38, October 7, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thrilla_in_Manila&oldid=1113421083
View Coin Republic - ABL Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1976FM Philippine NGC PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO This coin was was minted by The Franklin Mint under the authorization of the Central Bank of the Philippines. Three varieties of this coin were struck: Proof, Brilliant Uncirculated, and Matte. This particular coin is the Proof variety, wherein The relief has frosted surfaces and fields are smooth and mirror-like.

The obverse features the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines. To the right of the bust is the coin's denomination, 1 Piso, and below is his name, Jose Rizal. On the coin's top is the country's name, "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS".

The reverse bears the country’s coat of arms in the center. It features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the inscription " RUPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS”. Around the coin are the words "ANG BAGONG LIPUNAN" on top, which is Pilipino for "The New Society". On the bottom is the issuing bank's name, "BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS". The coin's date, 1976, is divided by the shield.


🔎
This is a perfect coin as the grade indicates. It doesn’t show any trace of wear, handling, scratches or contact with other coins. The coin’s strike is sharp, and it radiates full original luster, with exceptional eye appeal. This type of coin is quite common and is found in the 1976 proof set, or sometimes cut out of the set and sold either individually or with the rest of the minor coins of the proof set. This coin and its proof set are fairly priced. I acquired this specimen raw (cut out of its proof set) and had it graded. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the grade it received. As of this writing, it is in the Top Pop spot with others (5/0).

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-Nickel
Weight: 9.5000g
Diameter: 29mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬆️
Mintage: 9,901 (based on the number of proof sets)
KM# 209.1


📆 This Year in Philippine History

On October 16-17, 1976, a national referendum-plebiscite was held in the Philippines in which the majority of the barangay voters approved the continuation of Martial Law and ratified the proposed amendments to the Constitution substituting the Regular Batasang Pambansa with the Interim Batasang Pambansa, pursuant to various Presidential Decrees.

In Philippine law, a plebiscite is a ballot question on amending, revising, or approving a constitution. Other ballot questions asked through a nationwide electorate are referendums.

Included in the proposed constitutional amendments were:

1. The president (prime minister) and cabinet shall exercise all powers and functions, and can only be disqualified based on what the president (prime minister) prescribes. The president (prime minister) can also appoint a deputy prime minister, or multiple deputy prime ministers.

2. The incumbent president exercised legislative powers until martial law is lifted.

3. The president (prime minister) can issue decrees, orders or letters of instruction if the Interim Batasang Pambansa or regular National Assembly fails to act on an emergency.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, August 20). José Rizal. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:58, September 12, 2022, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Rizal

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, July 15). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:36, September 12, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 09:25, September 14, 2022, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-209.1-1975-1978-cuid-1084805-duid-1568232

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 09:20, September 14, 2022, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3748.html

1 Piso Ang Bagong Lipunan (ABL) Series Coin. Retrieved 20:10, October 9, 2022, from https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/ang-bagong-lipunan-series/1-piso.html
View Coin Republic - ABL Series PHILIPPINES PISO 1977FM Philippine NGC MS 65 This coin was was minted for circulation by the Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas. It has a matte finish similar to the matte variety minted by the Franklin Mint, which also minted Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated (Special Uncirculated) types for this series.

The obverse features the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines. To the right of the bust is the coin's denomination, 1 Piso, and below is his name, Jose Rizal. On the coin's top is the country's name, "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS".

The reverse bears the country’s coat of arms in the center. It features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898.) The three five-pointed stars represent the country's primary geographic regions (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.) On the dexter (left) side of the shield is the North American bald eagle of the United States, its left talon grasping an olive branch and the right talon grasping three spears, denoting peace and war. On the sinister (right) side is the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León (part of a united Spain from 1479). Both the eagle and the lion represent the country's colonial past. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the inscription " RUPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS”. Around the coin are the words "ANG BAGONG LIPUNAN" on top, which is Pilipino for "The New Society". On the bottom is the issuing bank's name, "BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS". The coin's date, 1977, is divided by the shield.


🔎
As a coin intended for general commerce, this specimen bears small, scattered, contact marks and light scuffs from contact with other coins in the bag. As captured by the camera, the surfaces show bright and attractive satiny mint luster and sharp strike. Overall quality is above average and eye appeal is very pleasing. This type of coin is pretty common is affordably priced for its type. I had this coin in my collection and decided to have it slabbed for my custom registry set as an example of a business strike one piso coin of the era. As of this writing, this coin is the first of its kind to be NGC-certified at this grade, sitting at the Top Pop spot (1/0).

⚙️ Coin Specifications and Information

Composition: Copper-Nickel
Weight: 9.5000g
Diameter: 29mm
Edge: Reeded
Alignment: ⬆️ ⬆️
Mintage: 14,771,000
KM# 209.1


📆 This Year in Philippine History

Today in Philippine History, August 22, 1977, the nightly curfew, imposed under the martial law was lifted.

President Ferdinand Marcos announced that he was lifting the nightly curfew and the travel ban as his first step towards relaxing the restrictions imposed under martial law.

When President Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, it curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and effected the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists.

The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was then experiencing, including the re-emergence of the communist movement.

Among some its desirable results was the significant reduction of the crime rate after a nightly curfew was implemented nationwide.

Marcos eventually lifted martial law on January 17, 1981.

____________________
📖 Information sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2022, July 15). Sheldon coin grading scale. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:36, September 12, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheldon_coin_grading_scale

NGC, World Coin Price Guide, Philippines Coin Price Guide (Powered by NumisMaster), Retrieved 09:25, September 14, 2022, from https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/philippines-piso-km-209.1-1975-1978-cuid-1084805-duid-1568232

Numista Coin Catalog. Coins from Philippines. Retrieved 09:20, September 14, 2022, from https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3748.html

Today in Philippine History, August 22, 1977. Retrieved 17:42, October 8, 2022, from https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/517/today-in-philippine-history-august-22-1977-the-nightly-curfew-imposed-under-the-martial-law-was-lifted

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