Is that American? Or Filipino? (50 Centavos, 1908)
So today's coin is something that really sparked my curiosity when I first got it. A 50 centavos from the Philippines minted in 1908:
This is the reverse side of the coin and we will come back to it later. What I found really peculiar is the other side that by itself would make you think this is actually a coin from USA
What did I miss? Is Philippines a state of USA? 😅😂
Well, one of the things I like with collecting silver coins is that I get to learn about stuff I normally wouldn't.
And in this case I learnt a bit about the history of Philippines. Turns out the country belonged to the Spanish Empire which receded it to the US after the Spanish - American war in 1898 with the treaty of Paris. It would take about another 50 years and plenty of Phillipino blood before the country read was granted its independence in 1946.
So, in a way I guess it is indeed an American coin 😅
Honestly, I am really glad I bought this piece as I ended up spending a good chunk of the day learning more about Phillipines and their history. Sure, I am not an expert but at least I know a bit more then before when I could hardly point the country at a world map 😂
Ok, let's return to the reverse side with the lady. Here we have a woman, hitting a hammer on an anvil with a smoking volcano next to her.
The volcano is actually Mt. Mayon, an almost perfectly conical volcanic mountain northeast of the capital city of Manila. The volcano is still active and has erupted over 52 times in the last 500 years.
The design is by Melecio Figueroa, who died a bit before it was actually used for the Philippine coins:
In 1903, he joined a competition for the Philippine peso coinage system in 1903 and his design was selected as the winner. The coinage system was known as the Conant series, which was named after Charles A. Conant. Figueroa's designs feature in Philippine peso coins until the 1960s. source and more info
Silver Value
This is a rather small coin, just 10 g of 0.750 purity, with the rest being copper.
Let's see how silver doing today:
(Via Google)
That's about 5.5$ worth of silver right there.
Ok, I think we have covered all the basics of today's coin so let's close with the random fact silver of the day!
Random Silver Fact of the Day
Today's random fact by chatgpt is:
Silver can tarnish due to a chemical reaction with sulfur compounds. When silver comes into contact with sulfur-containing substances like hydrogen sulfide in the air or in certain foods, it undergoes a process called tarnishing. This reaction forms a blackish layer called silver sulfide on the surface of the silver item, giving it a dull or discolored appearance. Interestingly, some people's body chemistry can cause silver to tarnish more quickly, resulting in "silver allergies" or discoloration of silver jewelry when worn. This peculiar reaction between silver and sulfur compounds contributes to the maintenance and care required to keep silver items looking their best.
Ha! First time I hear about silver allergies, that was interesting!
Ok plebs, that's it for today! See you soon with another coin!
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Those are very cool coins, that one was minted in San Francisco! Mint state ones tend to be expensive with these but they're awesome coins. I've never picked one up with the Manila (M) mintmark, I'll have to add that to my list.
How do you tell em apart?
On the back left of the date you can see the S mintmark
Never mind, just noticed the "s", lmao
That is a 50 centavos USPI ( US-Philippine) coin. USPI coins were minted during American administration of the Philippines and most were struck in the US. You had the 1908 with "s" mintmark which is quite common for that series. I wonder how much you pay for it?
hey fren. If memory serves me right, 6 euro at a fb auction
That's something I didn't know!
Nice. Price is good in that condition, near its melting value.
Yeah, that's what I am usually betting on auctions cause I am not much of an expert when it comes to estimating real value considering coin condition etc etc 😅
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Looks dope.. I have some Filipino frens and didn't knew about that history...I heard people saying is that a Us state many time.
Plenty of volcano's in php I guess. Good one!
I think there are also Japan minted Philippine coins from the occupation years.
Anyway, very cool coin!
The USA coin is from the year 1908 and is so old. Interesting.
Interesting story that's a beautiful coin indeed the history made it so much better
I tell ya, there is much earning to do with coins! Isn't it fantastic!
Very good show, @trumpman !
Yeah America has has had its hand in too many countries back in the day. But has also minted coins for many countries over the years without it saying United States of America. Cool info
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Saver shared something like this not long ago beautiful piece
This coin would make a great Trivia Pursuit question under Economy and Finances. It'd be a tough trivia to answer.
Nice coin. I forgot that the US occupied the Phillipines in the past.
Ohhh, I remember seeing a lot of those 50 centavo coins in may granny's house before. Not sure the year they were minted though. Some were even laid down on the concrete staircase as some sort of accessory. I have to remember to check it out when I go there again one of these days.
Mount Mayon is erupting currently, with lava flow even.
that awkward moment when your colony likes making other colonies... colony-ception ?
😅