USPI-1/2C
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5/8/2025
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US/Philippines Half Centavos
The USA/Philippines Half Centavo Set is the smallest of all of the individual denomination USA/Philippine competitive sets defined by NGC. It contains only two issues intended for general circulation and five proof issues.
Over the years, there has been debate over which side of a US/Philippine coin is the obverse and which is the reverse. Lyman Allen, who wrote one of the most widely used books on the topic of US/Philippine coinage, described the date side as the obverse and the figure side as the reverse. Most other authors however took the opposite view. I posted a journal entry in November, 2011 on this topic in which I discussed why I agreed with Mr. Allen (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=9876). I posted all of my pictures and wrote all of my coin and set descriptions accordingly when I created my sets. I continued to research US/Philippine coin topics and in July, 2014 I discovered a 1903 report prepared by Col. Clarence R. Edwards, then Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, which very clearly identified the figure side of these coins to be the obverse and the date side as the reverse. Much to my chagrin, I felt it was necessary to write another journal post to let other collectors know that a definitive source existed (http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=15716). I then spent many months swapping obverse/reverse pictures and reworking coin and set descriptions. All of the coin pictures and descriptions in this set are now consistent with the design descriptions written by Col. Edwards in 1903.
Both sides of the coin were designed by Filipino artist Melecio Figueroa, who lived just long enough to see his coins minted. The obverse depicts a young Filipino man sitting next to an anvil while holding a large hammer in his right hand. He appears to be gazing at the image of the Mt. Mayon volcano smoldering in the distance. It also contains the denomination “HALF CENTAVO” across the top and the word “FILIPINAS” across the bottom. With the exception of the denomination, this obverse is common to the Half Centavo, Centavo, and Five Centavo coins. The reverse depicts an eagle atop the shield of the United States which contains a field of 13 stars over 13 vertical stripes and is common to all 7 denominations minted from 1903 through 1936.
All of the coins in this set were minted by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. Of all of the denominations minted for circulation in the Philippines, this is the only one that was discontinued because it was not well accepted by the public. The minting of Half Centavos began in March 1903, and was suspended almost exactly one year later in March 1904. They would never again be produced for general circulation and only extremely small quantities would be minted in proof for inclusion in the proof sets of 1905, 1906, and 1908. In 1908, roughly 40% of all half centavos minted for circulation would be shipped to the San Francisco mint to be re-coined into One Centavo pieces.
Physical Specifications:
• Composition: .950 copper, .050 tin and zinc
• Weight: 40 grains (2.59 grams)
• Diameter: 17.5 millimeters
• Edge: Plain
In each of my coin descriptions I have tried to include the Allen number, information pertaining to specific year/mint of issue and information about the specific coin in the collection. I hope you find it informative.
Set goals: A complete set of coins grading MS65BN or above. I'm not there yet, but it is certainly achievable.
References:
• "U.S./Philippine Coins" by Lyman L. Allen 7th Edition 2012 updated and edited by Tom Culhane, Union NJ, 2012
• "U.S./Philippine Coins" by Lyman L. Allen 6th Edition 2008-2009 published by Lyman Allen Rare Coins Virginia City, NV 2007
• "United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands" by Neil Shafer, Whitman Publishing Company Racine, Wisconsin, 1961
• "Coins, Medals and Tokens of the Philippines 1728-1974" by Aldo P. Basso, second edition Bookman Printing House, Quezon City, 1975
• "The Rarity Book, United States Administration Coinage for the Philippines 1903-1946" ’94-’95 edition by Jeffrey A. Springsteen 1994
• "Foreign Coins Struck at United States Mints" by Charles G. Altz and E. H. Barton, Whitman Publishing Company Racine, Wisconsin, 1965
• "Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States 1793-1980", Department of the treasury, Bureau of the Mint, 1981
• "Stability of International Exchange" - Document No. 144 of the 58th Congress, 2nd Session of the House of Representatives published on December 17, 1903
-- (page 414, "The Execution of the Philippine Coinage Act." prepared by Col. Clarence R. Edwards, Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs.)
Created: 7/20/2013
Rev. 8/19/2016 (Major revision to redefine which side of the coin is obverse and which is the reverse)
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USPI-1/2C
By coin928
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