10 Centavo Coin - English Series

Ten Centavo Coin
English Series (1963)

Obverse: Lady Liberty striking an anvil with a hammer with a volcano (Mt. Mayon) erupting in the background, "Ten Centavos", year mark
Reverse: seal of the Republic of the Philippines,. "Central Bank of the Philippines"

Shape: round
Edge: reeded
Diameter: 17.5mm
Designer: Melecio Figueroa

The obverse design is adpoted from the earlier coins issued during the American Occupation. The figure of Lady Liberty striking the anvil with a hammer is supposed to depict the work done by the Americans in creating a progressive Philippines. Many suspect that the lady in the figure is actually Blanca, the daughter of the designer.

My grandfather used to give me all these little coins which he gathered from his winnings in Mah Jong games. I soon filled a large piggybank with these ten centavo pieces. When the Central Bank moved to demonetize these coins to give way for the New BSP Series, we opened up the piggybank and counted about 2,100 pieces of this coin! I got a measly P210 when we exchanged the heavy bag of coins at the bank. Now I wish I had just kept them.