JAA's Journal

A journal by JAA

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Entries in this journal

United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Reduced Size and Weight One Peso of 1907 - 1912

Today's Journal entry is the eighteenth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The seventeenth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Reduced Size and Weight One Peso of 1907 - 1912. When the U.S. Congress established the Standards for U.S. Philippine coins in March 1903 the price of silver was at an all time low. By 1905 rising silver prices brought the bullion value of Philippine silver coins to the level where
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Five Centavos of 1903 - 1928

Today's Journal entry is the fifth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The fourth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Five Centavos of 1903 - 1928. The coins in this slot include business strikes in twelve dates, five dates with proof issues, and three recognized die varieties including the famous 1918-S MULE. The Five Centavos was designed by Filipino artist Melicio Figueroa and engraved by U.S. Mint Ch
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The "Commonwealth Reverse" Five Centavos of 1937 - 1945

Today's Journal entry is the seventh installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The sixth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the "Commonwealth Reverse" Five Centavos of 1937 - 1945. The "Commonwealth Reverse" Five Centavos of 1937 - 1945 is the same size (19mm) and weight 75.16 Grains (4.75 grams) as the "Reduced Size & Weight" Five Centavos of 1930 -- 1935 and uses the same obverse design. The Five Centavos o
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Siamese Porcelain Money of 1760 - 1875

My feature Primitive Money for Wednesday April 18 is Siamese Porcelain Coins. Siamese Porcelain Coins were used in Siam (Thailand) between 1760 - 1875. They come in many shapes, sizes and designs. Siamese Porcelain Coins are actually gambling tokens that were made in China for use by the Chinese in private gambling houses in Sia, but were also used in the surrounding area as small change. The gambling houses were "tax farms" where every year, or some say every three years, the government a
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The 1903 -- 1906 Peso

Today's Journal entry is the seventeenth installment in my weekly series on United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The sixteenth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the large silver Peso of 1903 -- 1906. Without a doubt the 1903 - 1906 Peso is the "King" of the USA/Philippines Type Set. This large (38 mm) crown size coin (the same diameter as a U.S. Morgan Silver Dollar) is the largest coin struck by the United States for use in the Philippines while
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Reduced Size and Weight Fifty Centavos of 1907 - 1921

Today's Journal entry is the fifteenth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The fourteenth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Reduced Size and Weight Fifty Centavos of 1907 - 1921. When the U.S. Congress established the Standards for U.S. Philippine coins in March 1903 the price of silver was at an all time low. By 1905 rising silver prices brought the bullion value of Philippine silver coins to the level
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USA/Philippine Commonwealth Era (1936 - 1945) Reverse Designs

Design elements of the Commonwealth Reverse are steeped in the History of the Philippines. I thought that I would take this opportunity to update the information in my previous Journal entry (Crossovers - Part 2) with some interesting information on the history behind the design elements of the common reverse used on USA/Philippine Commonwealth era coins. Here is a picture of the reverse of the 1936 M Roosevelt Quezon Peso depicted in my earlier Journal entry and a link to the coin in my Regis
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Commonwealth Reverse Ten Centavos of 1937 - 1945

Today's Journal entry is the tenth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The ninth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Commonwealth Reverse Ten Centavos of 1937 - 1945. The "Commonwealth Reverse" Ten Centavos of 1937 - 1945 is the same size (16.5 mm) and weight (2.0 grams [30.86 grains] of .750 fineness silver [ASW 0.0482 oz]) as the "Reduced Size & Weight" Ten Centavos of 1907 - 1935 and uses the same ob
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Culion Island Leper Colony Coinage

Thank you NGC for creating a competitive registry set category for the Culion Island Leper Colony Coinage. The Culion Island Leper Colony Coinage is a fascinating but often overlooked aspect of USA-Philippine numismatics. In 1906 the Bureau of Health for the U.S. Territory of the Philippines established a colony for leper patients on the small island of Culion in the China Sea. For health reasons, the decision was made that the leper colony should have a separate coinage of its own which wo
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Half Centavo of 1903 - 1908

Today's Journal entry is the second installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The first of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Half Centavo of 1903 - 1908. The Half Centavo was designed by Filipino artist Melicio Figueroa and engraved by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber. The obverse design shows a young Filipino male seated next to an anvil holding a hammer in his right hand, his left arm raised, and in the
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Siamese Bullet Money of 1237 - 1886 (1 Baht Silver Bullet)

My feature Primitive Money for Tuesday April 17 is Siamese Bullet Money. The bullet money of Siam (Thiland) was issued from 1237 to 1886. To produce these bullets molten silver or gold is poured into a wooden form and shaped into an elliptical bar. Then two shallow parallel crosscuts are made in the bar, and it is hammered into a nearly round shape. The ends of each piece appear turned together so that the finished money is almost round - very much like a real bullet. Stamps are made by han
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Upgrade to my Registry Sets - 1908 Half Centavo, NGC PF65 Red

Last night I entered the newest acquisition to my USA/Philippine Registry Sets. The new acquisition is a NGC 1908 PF65 Red Half Centavo that I purchased from Cookie Jar Collectibles in their Philippine Mail Bid Sale XVI. I used this little GEM to upgrade the 1903 - 1908 Half Centavo slot in my prize winning (2011 Best Presented Set Award)USA/Philippine Type Set. If you have not visited by Registry set lately please click on the following link: http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The "Commonwealth Reverse" One Centavo of 1937 - 194

Today's journal entry is the fourth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The third of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the "Commonwealth Reverse" One Centavo of 1937 - 1944. The One Centavo of 1937 - 1944 continues the same obverse design that was used on the 1903 - 1936 One Centavo. The obverse was designed by Filipino artist Melicio Figueroa and engraved by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber. The design
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The 1936 Roosevelt-Quezon Peso

Today's Journal entry is the twenty-first installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The twentieth and final slot in a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the 1936 Roosevelt-Quezon Peso. When the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American war of 1898, the Philippines became a United States possession. Unlike other colonial powers the U.S. always had intentions of giving the Philippine Islands full independence once the inhabitants were given
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The One Centavo of 1903 - 1936

Today's Journal entry is the third installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The second of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the One Centavo of 1903 - 1936. The 1903 -- 1936 One Centavo encompasses the longest date range of any slot in the USA-Philippines Type Set. The coins in this slot include business strikes in 29 dates, five dates with proof issues, and 15 recognized die varieties. The One Centavo was designed
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Siamese Canoe Money / Lats

My feature Primitive Money for Monday April 16 is Siamese Canoe Money or Lats.(13th - 16th century Kingdom of Lanchang) Lat or Bar Money was the coinage of the 13th - 16th century kingdom of Lanchang, in what is now northern Thailand. Lats money was uncoined copper, white medal or silver ingots that came in many varieties. Leech Money, Tigers' Tongues, Boat Money, and Canoe Money are all forms of Lats. Canoe Money is usually pointed or tapered at each end, the center sometimes is hollowed o
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Those Amazing Mules: A Tale of Two Mules.

A Mule is a coin struck from two dies not originally intended to be used together. During the forty-seven years that the Philippines were under United States sovereignty the mint produced two mules, one by mistake in 1918 and the other intentionally in 1928. The story of these two Mules is one of the most interesting in U.S./Philippine numismatics. When the U.S. Congress established the Standards for U.S. Philippine coins in March 1903 the price of silver was at an all time low. By November
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Top Pop 1904 USA-Philippines Proof Half Centavo

My latest Top Pop acquisition is a USA/Philippines Half Centavo in PR66RB (Combined NGC/PCGS Population 4/0). The 1904 Proof Half Centavo had a mintage of 1,355. Despite its relatively high mintage compared to other years in this series proof 1904 Half Centavos in this grade are much rarer than the mintage figures would suggest. PCGS Coin Facts lists the "Relative Rarity by Type" for 1904 Half Centavos in PR65RB or above as the rarest in the series and assigns it a grade rarity of R-8.5. Of
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Reduced Size and Weight Ten Centavos of 1907 - 1935

Today's Journal entry is the ninth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The eighth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Reduced Size and Weight Ten Centavos of 1907 - 1935. When the U.S. Congress established the Standards for U.S. Philippine coins in March 1903 the price of silver was at an all time low. By 1905 rising silver prices brought the bullion value of Philippine silver coins to the level where they
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West African Manilla (Copper Armlet/Bracelet Money)

My feature Primitive Money for Friday April 20 is the West African Manilla (15th to mid-20th century). Manillas are copper or bronze horseshoe shaped armlets, which served as a general purpose currency in West Africa (Guinea Coast, Gold Coast, Nigeria) from the 15th century to the mid-20th century. Manillas were used for ordinary market purchases, bride price, and as burial money. Cowry shells, valued at a small fraction of a Manilla, were used for smaller purchases. Copper was the "red gold
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Reduced Size & Weight Five Centavos of 1930 - 1935

Today's Journal entry is the sixth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The fifth of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Reduced Size & Weight Five Centavos of 1930 - 1935. The coins in this slot include business strikes in five dates, and four recognized die varieties. All of the 1930 - 1935 Five Centavos were struck at the Manila mint and have an "M" Mint Mark on the reverse to the left of the date. In
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My Wife the Penny Hoarder

My wife is a penny hoarder. For years she has kept a jar of pennies on the kitchen counter which she regularly adds to by saving the pennies in her pocket change, cleaning out my pockets and stopping to pick up every penny she sees lying in the street. My wife is not a coin collector by any stretch of the imagination. In fact she knows absolutely nothing about numismatics and does not understand why anyone would pay more than face value for an old coin. When my wife was a little girl, her m
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Coins and Medals of the United States Manila Mint

This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of the destruction of the United States Manila Mint during the largest and most destructive urban battle fought by U.S. troops during the Second World War. In recognition of the important role the Manila Mint played in our nation's numismatic heritage I am posting a series of four journal articles on this often forgotten mint. Yesterdays Journal article http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=16394 covered the esta
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Siamese Bullet Money of 1237 - 1886 (1 Baht Silver Bullet) Additional Photograph

This picture gives a better view of the turned together ends of Siamese Bullet Money. For background information on Siamese Bullet Money, and the history of this specimen please see my previous Journal entry: "Siamese Bullet Money of 1237 - 1886 (1 Baht Silver Bullet)" http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=11105 To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
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United States Coinage for the Philippine Islands: The Reduced Size and Weight Twenty Centavos of 1907 - 1929

Today's Journal entry is the twelfth installment in my weekly series on the United States coinage for the Philippine Islands. The eleventh of the twenty slots that compose a NGC USA-Philippines Type Set is the Reduced Size and Weight Twenty Centavos of 1907 - 1929. When the U.S. Congress established the Standards for U.S. Philippine coins in March 1903 the price of silver was at an all time low. By 1905 rising silver prices brought the bullion value of Philippine silver coins to the level wh
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