Shredded Philippine Money in a Box

Last time we featured shredded Philippine banknotes in plastic bags. I recently found out that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also packages these in nice plastic containers. This is the description at the back:

"The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is the central monetary authority of the Philippines. Its objective is to maintain price and banking stability. As a monetary manager, it is responsible for
printing Philippine currency notes as well as their issuance and retirement from the system.

As part of its commitment to the preservation of the environment and the conservation of resources, unfit banknotes and production waste are converted to briquettes for recycling purposes.

The box containing this briquette is made of recycled material. This briquette contains about 400 pieces of 100-Piso banknotes with the total face value of P40,000."

Apparently, the box contains an assortment of all banknotes, and not just 100-Piso banknotes as stated. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and colorful souvenir of Philippine paper currency.


UPDATE: I have some shredded 500 peso bills to spare. I can send you some but you will need to pay for freight and packaging costs. Send me an email at the address below if you're interested.

US-Philippines Wilson Dollar - Silver Medal

US-Philippines Wilson Dollar (1920)
Silver Medal

photo courtesy of peggasuss of ebay

Obverse: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson "President of the United States
Reverse: Justice kneeling and watching over a nude youth who is pouring planchets (coin blanks) into a cooling press "Commemorate the opening of the mint", "Manila P.I. 1920"

Mintage: 2,200 pieces (another 3,700 for a bronze version)

This official silver medal was struck at the Manila Mint in July 1920 to commemorate it's opening. The dies were executed by George Morgan.


The Manila Mint

The Manila Mint was a branch of the United States Mint, located in Manila, now the capital city of the Philippines. Since that country became a United States possession after the Spanish-American War, the United States began to produce coinage for the Philippines in 1903 at its San Francisco and Philadelphia mints.

In 1920, the Manila Mint was opened, and was the first (and to date only) U.S. branch mint located outside the Continental United States. It produced coins until 1922 and then again from 1925 to 1941, when the Japanese Empire invaded the Philippines during World War II. The mint was operated under Japanese auspices during the occupation. No U.S. coins were produced at Manila after 1941 due to the occupation and to Philippine independence in 1946, although Philippine coinage did take place at the other U.S. mints in 1944 and 1945. The building housing the mint was destroyed during the retaking of the city in 1944.

Uncut Sheet of Banknotes

Image courtesy of jt40tmh of ebay

These banknotes are interestingly, uncut. In one large sheet of uncut paper money are 32 pieces of banknotes. That is how they print them in the mint. Sometimes, uncut sheets of eight banknotes (2 columns of four) are also available for collectors.

The banknotes in the photo are specimen notes which mean they are not of legal tender. However, I have seen uncut legal tender banknotes. Those you can use to pay for your groceries. Just imagine the cashier's surprise if you hand out an uncut sheet for payment. Without the "specimen" overprint, uncut notes are still legal tender.

Most likely you won't be doing that though. There aren't too many uncut sheets around so they fetch a high price in the numismatic community. I saw a sheet of eight 10 peso bills (new design series) for sale at SM Megamall for 600 pesos. A similar sheet of 20 peso bills with overprint was 1,200 pesos.

This definitely makes a good collectors' item.

One Peso Coin - Culion Leper Colony

One Peso Coin (1925)
Culion Leper Colony

Coin image courtesy of blackmountaincoins.com

Obverse: Dr. Jose P. Rizal, "Culion Leper Colony", Philippine Islands
Reverse: Seal of the Philippine Health Service, "Philippine Health Service", "One Peso", year mark

Diameter: 35mm
Composition: copper-nickel

Mintage: 20,000

5000 Peso Gold Coin - The New Society Commemorative

Five Thousand Peso Commemorative Gold Coin
Bagong Lipunan's 5th Anniversary

image courtesy of gr8ingr

Obverse: President Ferdianand E. Marcos and First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, The New Society, "V Anniversary", 1972-1977
Reverse: Seal of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Republika ng Pilipinas, 5000 Piso

Quality: Frosted proof
Material: 2.21 troy ounces 900/1000 fine gold

Shape: Round
Edge: Milled

Text on sealed cachet:
The 1977 Five Thousand Piso Gold Coin of the Philippines.

The proof coin contained within this sealed cachet was struck by The Franklin Mint on March 24, 1977 the first day of minting of this Proof coin.

Minted under the authorization of the Central Bank of the Philippines by the Franklin Mint, Franklin Center, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Signed G.S. Licaros (Governor, Central Bank of the Philippines) and Charles L. Andes (Chairman of the Board, The Franklin Mint)