The Philippines are an island nation in East Asia between the South Chinese Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It consists of more than 7000 islands with a total population of just over 100 million.
The Philippines are home to a variety of ethnic groups, of which the Tagalog and Visayans are the largest. Most languages are of the Austronesian group, linking the area to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Islam came to the Philippines in 1380. A century later the islands became part of the Bruneian Empire, just before the Spanish arrived in 1521 who brought/forced catholicism and would control the islands for many centuries. A struggle for independence evolved during the second half of the 19th century, during which Jose Rizal, a national hero who features on a lot of Philippine coins, led a rebellion, was captured and executed by Spanish soldiers.
After the Spanish-American War Spain ceded the Philippines to the US, ignoring the wishes of the recently proclaimed Philippine Republic. The Americans fought for two more years in the Philippine-American War to gain control over the area. Only in 1934 self-governance was granted. During WW2 the Japanese occupied the archipelago. After the Americans returned victoriously in 1945, the Philippines revolted again which led to independence in 1946.
The first Filipino regimes were marked by nepotism, corruption and suppression. Imelda Marcos, the wife of President Marcos, became a symbol of corruption by using her riches to hoard thousands of pairs of shoes. Well, what can I say, in every lady there's a piece of Imelda.
Marcos was eventually ousted by a peaceful revolution in 1986 following fraudulent elections which pointed him as the winner. After Marcos the Philippines fared a lot better with the economy and living standards improving for many. Still, poverty is widespread and the Philippines are often struck by natural disasters.
Currency
The Spanish brought silver 8 Reales pieces from the Americas to the Philippines, which became widespread to the entire region and would later form the basis of the Hong Kong & Straits Dollars, French Indochinese Piastre, Chinese Yuan, Korean Won and Japanese Yen.
The 8 Reales were known as Pesos or Spanish Dollars. Because a wide variety of foreign coins were circulating in the 19th century, the Philippine Peso was introduced in 1861 consisting of 100 Centavos. In 1895, the Peso was worth 5 Spanish Pesetas of the LMU, slightly less than its original value.
The Americans replaced the Spanish-Philippine Peso with their own. Due to falling silver prices and the Philippine-American War the Peso dropped to 50 US Cents, to which it remained pegged until independence, with a brief intermezzo during the Japanese occupation when quickly inflating paper currency was used.
After independence, the Peso dropped to 3.9/$, and floated from 1964. In 1967, its name was changed to Piso. By 1980 the rate was 11/$, 1990 28/$ and since the 2000s stabilised close to 50/$.
Coins
Before 1861, counterstamped coins from Spanish colonies or Latin American countries were used. After 1861, some regular silver coin types were produced.
Coins of the Spanish-Philippine Peso are quite rare, but coins from the American era are quite easy to find, especially the ones dated 1944 that have been struck in abundance in the final days of WW2.
Early independence coins are very similar to the American era ones. In 1967 English was replaced by Tagalog in all legends. Multiple easily collectable coin series followed, which makes the Philippines nice to the novice collector.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/philippines-1.html
World coins chat: Philippines
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I have one of the Spanish era coins and many of the American era ones. Here's one I bought recently:
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This is my top piece
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Quote: "dptashny"I have one of the Spanish era coins and many of the American era ones. Here's one I bought recently:Wow!... Nice...
I also have one like this from American era but i do not have that of the Spanish era.
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