200 Peso Banknote - Bank of the Philippine Islands

200 Peso Banknote - Bank of the Philippine Islands (1928)
American Regime

The front features Lady Justice holding scales and the seal of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). The signatures are of D Garcia (cashier) and Fulg Borromeo (president) . The serial number has been smudged in the scan upon request of the contributor.

This is one of the rarest banknotes ever issued during the American Regime. Only 1,700 were printed and not so many have survived. A more worn out version of this banknote was sold at ebay for more than $1,000.

*This post is sponsored by Frito Frio Fried Ice Cream

Manny Pacquiao on 5 Peso Bill

The Pacquiao vs Marquez Unfinished Business boxing match is at 8AM tomorrow, Philippine time. With that, it is time to add to our online collection this interesting 5-peso bill spoof featuring Manny Pacquiao at the obverse and one of his boxing matches at the back. It is a fine revival of the five peso banknote already out of print.

This spoof of the five peso bill has circulated in the internet last 2006 after Manny Pacquiao defeated Erik Morales and Oscar Larios in much anticipated boxing matches. Efforts were made to trace the creator of this banknote spoof but to no avail. Whoever you are, nice work!

Un Peso - Revolutionary Period

Un Peso Banknote

Philippine Republic of 1898

This Un (1) Peso banknote was used by the Philippine Government of 1898 under General Emilio Aguinaldo. Notes like this with serial numbers and signatures are very rare. This note was circulated along with Cinco Pesos banknotes and 2 centimos de peso copper coins. The printing of these currency displays the determination of the Aguinaldo Government to assert its independence.

Text on obverse:
Republica Filipina Papel Moneda de Un Peso
Ley 24 Abril 1899, El Delgado del Gobierno
1 Peso
Text on obverse:
Republica Filipina Un Peso
El Presidente de la Republica, Emilio Aguinaldo; El Presidente Consejo de Gobierno, Pedro A. Paterno
Este billete sera opportunamente cambiado por la Republica Filipina, y recibido en nago de contribuciones, derechos de Aduana y todo genero obligaciones
El falsificador sera castigado con todo el rigor de la Ley
Z. Fajardo

Printer: Imprenta Nacional á cargo de Z. Fajardo

*This post is sponsored by Frito Frio Fried Ice Cream

50 Centavos Establishment of the Commonwealth Commemorative Coin

photos courtesy of dekada_collectibles of ebay.com

Fifty Centavos Commemorative Coin, 1936-M
Establishment of the Commonwealth

Obverse: Facing busts of incoming Philippine President Manuel Quezon and outgoing Governor-General Frank Murphy, "Commonwealth of the Philippines", "Fifty Centavos"
Reverse: arms of the Philippine-American Commonwealth, "United States of America", year mark (1936)

Material: silver
Shape: round
Mintage: 20,000

This coin is one of three that commemorate the transition from protectorate to commonwealth which occured on November 15, 1935.

A Theory on the Origin of the Peso Sign

Where did the peso sign originate? What is its history? Below is my hypothesis on how the two horizontal lines found their way into the P.

The Philippine peso was established on May 1, 1852, when the Banco Español-Filipino de Isabel (now the Bank of the Philippine Islands) introduced notes denominated in pesos fuertes. Pesos fuertes meant strong pesos and was written as PF.

The peso fuerte eventually replaced the Spanish real at a rate of 8 reales = 1 peso. Until 1886, the PF circulated alongside Mexican coins, some still denominated in reales and escudos (worth 2 pesos). The Mexican coins were eventually phased out by Philippine colonial authorities in 1886.

Soon enough, the peso fuerte became known simply as peso. Similarly, writing the two letters P and F became cumbersome which prompted people to join them into a single symbol which eventually evolved into the Philippine Peso sign that we know today - a P crossed by two horizontal lines.

Makes sense right? Now, due to the lack of font support, the symbol is often substituted with a simple P, a P with one horizontal line instead of two, PHP, or PhP.