1921 Philipine Centavo

[KurtS]

Sometimes I buy coins simply because they're good photography subjects, which I then pass on to another collector.
This 1921 Philippine Centavo is such a coin--nicely struck with good original color, a little dirt but no verdigris.

[eagames]

Was that minted in the US?

I remember in the late 60s or early 70s the Safeway store near me had gum machines. Some machines had big gumballs but also had clear balls with coins inside randomly mixed with the gumballs. Luck decided what you got. I got several and they had foreign coins. I remember some were from Philipines but I think I gave them away since I only wanted US coins or wheaties to fill my folder. Years later I realized I should have kept the Philipines coins. I still have a US 2 cent piece that came from that machine.

[KurtS]

Wow...a 2 cent piece from a gumball machine! Congrats!
According to my incomplete Krause reference, many coins of the period were minted in San Francisco. 1921 does not bear a mint mark, and the origin is otherwise unspecified. It's a large mintage: 7.28M, so I might suspect a high-volume source such as another US mint.

[Dick]

I wouldn't doubt that it may have been minted in the US. As you know the Philippines were a US trust territory for many years, and later became independant. The last time I was there, ('59,_), we had to get permission from the govt to be there. It was as corrupt then as it is now! Every wednesday was "HUK"day. The commissary was closed to all dependants, and the HUK's came and loaded their Saulog's, and jeepneys as heave as possible. It was said they were 'Authorized"! My guess, it all ewent to supply the HUK's, (a criminal element). We didn't use "green", only MPC's. "Uncle SAM always was a sucker for a skirt, and a sob-story! Yes, and a lot of the time the skirt was being worn by a "Benny-boy"
Dick

[eagames]

Dick,

I never heard that term. I have a dog named Benny and everyone calls him "Benny Boy"

I better be careful calling him, people might get the wrong idea if I'm yelling "Benny Boy" LOL

[Dick]

These days, one must be verty careful l what they ask, or call for!
Dick

[KurtS]

Dick,
That's some story--so they were essentially stealing US military provisions? I've heard stories about the Subic Bay base, and what went on just outside the perimeter. Of course, Pinatubo sort of put a "clean slate" on things in '91.

[Dick]

Kurt, that it did! You know what those jeepneys, and Saulogs look like, so it pretty well stands to reason that the HUK's were getting their "share". tye nice thing is that we aren't doing that any more. but you can bet it still is, in other areas I just remembered an incident, that was NASTY, but laughable, at the same time. Many typhoons come thru there, as you know, and when they did, we had to get the seaplanes out of the area. So the best bet was to go south to the island of Palawan. They spoke amiixture of Tagalog, and some Spanish. farther south they spoke Zambuangueno, a butchered version of Spanish. Any way, while we were there, some of the guys got some small monkeys, and were going to tame them for pets. By the time they got back to Sangley Point, the plane was a stinking, filth, mess! It took the whole crew a full day to clean the plane, and even then it stunk! Souvenirs are nice, but if they be monkeys, I recommend they be stuffed, only! The only coins I have been getting fron the RP, or The P.I. as we knew it by, is a "Pizo" every now, and again in the rolls of quarters.
While I'm thinking about it, I have a Can cent that looks like a normal MD, but, on the one edge, the shift id just the opposite of the other edge. The shift is equal, as well. Do you know of ant DDO's in the 1983 cents? This sure looks like it could be, except fotr the appearance of the shift. I'll try to post it tomorrow. No time tonight. Spent a lot of time in the hospital, with my anual check-up. Everything is well, and good.My DRaid I'm doing real good for an 84 year-old. I told him I plan on living to be 125, and told him With luck, he might still be my DR! He said, "Oh God"! Now why woul;d he say that????
Dick

[GarryN]

[Dick]

Gerry, I don't have any of that from the P.I., but I do have quite a bit of different bills from Mexico. Some are pretty badly worn, but still recognizable as currency. I dion't recall which denominations, but the largest is 50,ooo pesos. They were from the time when the exchange rate was 3000:1., then later de-valued, knocking off 3 zeros. I had a lot of the revolutionary currency, many years ago, but that, and my coin collections all went to feed the kids, at one time, or another. All told, I spent 18 years on the border area, or in the interior. The few coins I have left, now, are from the change I kept for the grocery store I had, there. Just a lot of "cacharpas".
Dick