By James Paul R. Gomez
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is featuring a numismatic and art collection to celebrate the country’s 123rd Independence Day on June 12.
On its Facebook page, BSP features the 100,000-piso Philippine Centennial Commemorative Banknote, the first Philippine Republic cinco-pesos note, and dos-centimos coin.
The commemorative banknote, paper money, and coins are showcased in the agency’s latest publication, “Yaman: History and Heritage in Philippine Money.”
The 100,000-piso Philippine Centennial Commemorative Banknote honors historic victories during the Philippine Revolution where its obverse side shows the “Sigaw ng Himagsikan” on Aug. 24, 1896, while its reverse side showcases a scene of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898.
“Only 1,000 pieces of these were printed. With dimensions similar to a legal-size bond paper or 8.5 x 14 inches, it is, so far, the biggest legal tender note issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, both in terms of face value and size,” the BSP said.
The cinco-pesos note is about the same size as the present-day banknote, while the dos-centimos coin is near the size of the current five-piso coin.
In the last weeks of 1989, the Malolos Congress approved the issuance of paper banknotes. Pedro Paterno, Telesforo Chuidian, and Mariano Limjap signed the notes individually to avoid counterfeiting.
“The issuance of coins and paper money was a way for the government to project its identity as a sovereign authority,” the BSP said in another Facebook post.
Only the un-peso and Cinco-pesos banknotes were printed by Z. Fajardo press in Manila.
Both circulated to some areas but only lasted by the end of the short-lived First Philippine Republic.