The Philippines: Coins of the English Series

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This is a thread on the coins of the Philippines, specifically focusing on the English Series. It utilizes images from World Coin Gallery. Text for this thread come from personal observation of the coins presented.

From Wikipedia: The English Series were Philippine banknotes and coins that circulated from 1949 to 1969. It was the first banknote and coin series of the newly established Central Bank of the Philippines and was the only banknote and coin series of the Philippine peso to use English as its language for all of its banknotes and coins.

The coins were first introduced in 1949, in concert with the adoption of Republic Act No. 265, or the Central Bank Act of 1948. It was drafted by Philippine President Manuel A. Roxas in 1948, and the Central Bank of the Philippines was formally established on January 3, 1949.

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The first coins issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines in 1949 come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos. The obverse side reused designs first used on coins of the Philippines, first as a U.S. Insular Territory and during the period of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The reverse side featured the Coat of arms of the Philippines and text denoting the Central Bank.

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(KM#186) (Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The 1 centavo coin was minted in bronze, and featured an image of a seated man with a hammer and anvil and Mount Mayon on the background and the Coat of arms of the Philippines on the reverse.

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(KM#187) (Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The 5 centavos coin was minted in brass, and also used the same designs of the 1 centavo coin.

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(KM#188) (Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The 10 centavos coin was minted in nickel-brass, and featured an image of an allegorical liberty with a hammer and anvil and Mount Mayon on the background and the Coat of arms of the Philippines on the reverse.

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(KM#189.1) (Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The 25 centavos coin used the same designs from the 10 centavos and was issued in 2 versions, the original issue minted from 1958 to 1966.

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(KM#189.2) (Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The 25 centavos coin issued in 1966 featured 6 smoke rings coming out of Mount Mayon.

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(KM#190) (Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The 50 centavos coin, its highest denominated coin issued at the time, utilized the same designs used for the 10 and 25 centavos coins.

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The coins of the English Series continued circulation until the introduction of the Pilipino Series in 1967. The 1, 5, 25 and 50 centavos coins of the English Series were demonitized on August 31, 1979 and the 10 centavos coin of the English Series was demonitized on January 2, 1998.

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Philippine Numismatics:

• The Philippines: First National Heroes Coinage, 1967 to 1974
• The Philippines: second National Heroes Coinage, 1975 to 1982
• The Philippines: Flora and fauna coin series, 1983 to 1994
• The Philippines: the BSP coin series (1995-2017)
• The Philippines: Coins of the New Generation Currency

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See also here.

Peter