Owner Comments:
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.
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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
What Happened on July 29, 1905. Retrieved 11:20, September 7, 2021, from https://www.onthisday.com/date/1905/july/29