03/02/2015
US-Philippines coins
After the Spanish-American war, Spain ceded the Philippines to the Unites States for a amount of 20 million dollars in the 1898 Treaty of Paris.
The currency situation was in a state of disarray. The colony needed a new working coinage system which showed the colony's new identity.
In 1903, all Spanish-Philippines issues were withdrawn from circulation and melted, replaced by the new series of coins.
The minor coins (the half centavo, one centavo, and five centavos) were made of bronze and featured the figure of an adolescent male seated at an anvil and holding a hammer in his right hand. In the distance is seen the smoking volcano of Mt. Mayon. The statement of value appears in English, while the name of the colony is written below in Spanish (FILIPINAS).
Silver was used for the larger denominated coins (10, 20 and 50 centavos and then the 1 peso). The obverses of these showed a standing figure of a female wearing a long gown and holding a hammer resting atop an anvil. Behind her is again Mt. Mayon.
Until the Philippine Commonwealth was founded in 1935, all coins bore a single reverse design: the federal shield with by an American eagle on top. The words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and the date the coin was struck are also found on this side.
The obverses remained unchanged until the last US-Philippine coins were struck in 1945.
The designs are credited to Filipino sculptor Melecio Figueroa.
Several US mints struck coins for this series, namely Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver and the Manila mint.
