Manila Mint
Encyclopedia
The Manila Mint was a branch
of the United States Mint
, located in Manila
, now the capital city of the Philippines
.
Originally constructed from 1857 through 1861 under the auspices of the Spanish government, the "Casa de Moneda" (as it was called then) began issuing gold coinage in the denominations of one, two, and four Pesos in 1861. On March 5, 1862, permission was also granted to coin silver coinage, which began in 1864 for the ten and twenty Centavo denominations, and 1865 for fifty Centavos. The coins all bore the image of the then reigning Spanish Monarch, Queen Isabel II. In 1868, Isabel was deposed, but the mint continued to issue coinage in all six denominations until 1873, all dated 1968 and indistinguishable from those minted in 1868. In 1880 under the aupsices of then-current Spanish King Alphonse XII, coinage production resumed, this time with the King's image, and a slightly lower silver content for the ten, twenty, and fifty Centavo denominations. Only a very small number of gold coins were issued, all being of the four Pesos denomination. In 1885 Alphonse XII died, with control of Spain to go to his (as yet unborn) son, Alphonse XIII. Once again, the Casa de Moneda continued to issue coins until 1898, all dated 1885 and indistinguishable from those minted in 1885.
Shortly after the Spanish-American War
and a brief insurgency by the Filipinos, the country became a United States possession. Unlike all other territories taken by the United States, the United States soon began to produce a special coinage for the Philippines. To encourage circulation, the denominations were modeled on those produced by the Spanish, namely a silver Peso similar to that minted in Madrid in 1897, denominations of fifty, twenty (instead of twenty-five), and ten Centavos, and a one Centavo similar in size to some pattern cents minted by the Spanish. Also, noted Philippine sculptist Melecio Figueroa was enlisted to provide the designs for the coinage, creating a seated man design for the base metal denominations and a standing woman design for the silver denominations, which latter is though to have been modeled on his daughter Bianca. In 1903 the San Francisco Mint
began producing silver coins for the Philippines, and the Philadelphia Mint
producing proofs and base metal coins, along with providing some additional silver issues for circulation. Coins minted in San Francisco had a small "S" mintmark placed to the left of the date; Philadelphia coins were without a mintmark. In 1904 all Spanish and other foreign coinage was demonetized.
The territorial coinage minted for the Philippines was locked in an exchange rate of two Pesos to one Dollar, and issued in denominations of Half, One, Five, Ten, Twenty, and Fifty Centavos, and One Peso. The Half Centavo proved useless in commerce and was withdrawn from circulation in 1904, and owing to a rise in silver prices the silver denominations (Ten centavos on up) were all reduced in size and alloy in 1907. In 1908, the San Francisco mint was finally authorized to coin base metal cents, and was thus positioned to take over all coinage production for the Philippines after that. After 1912 the Peso ceased to be minted. Such was the state of the coinage for the Philippines when the United States decided to establish a branch mint in the Philippines to take over the role then occupied by the San Francisco mint.
In 1920, the Manila Mint was reopened under United States auspices, and was the first (and to date only) U.S. branch mint located outside the Continental United States. It produced coins until 1922 and then again from 1925 to 1941, when the Japanese Empire invaded the Philippines during World War II
. The mint was operated under Japanese auspices during the occupation. No U.S. coins were produced at Manila after 1941 due to the occupation and to Philippine independence in 1946, although Philippine coinage did take place at the other U.S. mints in 1944 through 1946 (all dated 1944 and 1945 only). The mint also produced a special coinage for the inmates at the Culion Leper Colony. The building housing the mint was destroyed during the retaking of the city in 1945.
In the beginning the Manila mint produced its coins without a mintmark, but in 1925 it began using the "M" mintmark on all of its coins until its closure at the end of 1941 with the Japanese invasion. In 1936, to commemorate the Philippines becoming a Commonwealth and no longer a mere territory, Ambrosia Morales was commissioned to generate new coin designs for the commemorative Fifty Centavos and One Peso. The coins he designed featured Manuel Quezon as the Philippine's first Commonwealth President and General Murphy and American President Franklin Roosevelt. A new design for the reverse based on the seal of the Commonwealth he designed was also introduced on those commemoratives, and featured on all Philippine coins minted from 1937 until 1946. When Philippine coinage production resumed in 1944, the One, Five, and Fifty Centavo pieces were again struck in San Francisco (complete with "S" mintmark), Five Centavo pieces were also struck in Philadelphia (no mintmark), and the Ten and Twenty Centavo pieces were struck in Denver, introducing the "D" mintmark to Philippine coinage. All of these coins featured the new Commonwealth reverse design. On July 4, 1946, the era of the Commonwealth ended as indepenence was granted to the Philippines as a sovereign nation.
The Manila Mint struck coins in the following denominations:
Base Metal Denominations (identical to alloys used for United States One Cent and Five Cents)
Silver Denominations (seventy-five percent silver for Ten through Fifty Centavos and eighty percent for the One Peso)
Leper Colony Coinage (struck in aluminum 1920 and brass all later years)
In addition, a medal (commonly called the 'Wilson Dollar,' owing to having a design featuring then-current U. S. President Wilson and being similar in size to a silver dollar) was issued in gold, silver, and copper in 1920 to commemorate the opening of the Manila Mint.
Branch mint
-United States:The original and main Mint of the United States Mint, has been located in Philadelphia , since 1793. Its current facility, Philadelphia's fourth, opened in 1969.U.S...
of the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
, located in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, now the capital city of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Originally constructed from 1857 through 1861 under the auspices of the Spanish government, the "Casa de Moneda" (as it was called then) began issuing gold coinage in the denominations of one, two, and four Pesos in 1861. On March 5, 1862, permission was also granted to coin silver coinage, which began in 1864 for the ten and twenty Centavo denominations, and 1865 for fifty Centavos. The coins all bore the image of the then reigning Spanish Monarch, Queen Isabel II. In 1868, Isabel was deposed, but the mint continued to issue coinage in all six denominations until 1873, all dated 1968 and indistinguishable from those minted in 1868. In 1880 under the aupsices of then-current Spanish King Alphonse XII, coinage production resumed, this time with the King's image, and a slightly lower silver content for the ten, twenty, and fifty Centavo denominations. Only a very small number of gold coins were issued, all being of the four Pesos denomination. In 1885 Alphonse XII died, with control of Spain to go to his (as yet unborn) son, Alphonse XIII. Once again, the Casa de Moneda continued to issue coins until 1898, all dated 1885 and indistinguishable from those minted in 1885.
Shortly after the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and a brief insurgency by the Filipinos, the country became a United States possession. Unlike all other territories taken by the United States, the United States soon began to produce a special coinage for the Philippines. To encourage circulation, the denominations were modeled on those produced by the Spanish, namely a silver Peso similar to that minted in Madrid in 1897, denominations of fifty, twenty (instead of twenty-five), and ten Centavos, and a one Centavo similar in size to some pattern cents minted by the Spanish. Also, noted Philippine sculptist Melecio Figueroa was enlisted to provide the designs for the coinage, creating a seated man design for the base metal denominations and a standing woman design for the silver denominations, which latter is though to have been modeled on his daughter Bianca. In 1903 the San Francisco Mint
San Francisco Mint
The San Francisco Mint is a branch of the United States Mint, and was opened in 1854 to serve the gold mines of the California Gold Rush. It quickly outgrew its first building and moved into a new one in 1874. This building, the Old United States Mint, also known affectionately as The Granite Lady,...
began producing silver coins for the Philippines, and the Philadelphia Mint
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
producing proofs and base metal coins, along with providing some additional silver issues for circulation. Coins minted in San Francisco had a small "S" mintmark placed to the left of the date; Philadelphia coins were without a mintmark. In 1904 all Spanish and other foreign coinage was demonetized.
The territorial coinage minted for the Philippines was locked in an exchange rate of two Pesos to one Dollar, and issued in denominations of Half, One, Five, Ten, Twenty, and Fifty Centavos, and One Peso. The Half Centavo proved useless in commerce and was withdrawn from circulation in 1904, and owing to a rise in silver prices the silver denominations (Ten centavos on up) were all reduced in size and alloy in 1907. In 1908, the San Francisco mint was finally authorized to coin base metal cents, and was thus positioned to take over all coinage production for the Philippines after that. After 1912 the Peso ceased to be minted. Such was the state of the coinage for the Philippines when the United States decided to establish a branch mint in the Philippines to take over the role then occupied by the San Francisco mint.
In 1920, the Manila Mint was reopened under United States auspices, and was the first (and to date only) U.S. branch mint located outside the Continental United States. It produced coins until 1922 and then again from 1925 to 1941, when the Japanese Empire invaded the Philippines during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The mint was operated under Japanese auspices during the occupation. No U.S. coins were produced at Manila after 1941 due to the occupation and to Philippine independence in 1946, although Philippine coinage did take place at the other U.S. mints in 1944 through 1946 (all dated 1944 and 1945 only). The mint also produced a special coinage for the inmates at the Culion Leper Colony. The building housing the mint was destroyed during the retaking of the city in 1945.
In the beginning the Manila mint produced its coins without a mintmark, but in 1925 it began using the "M" mintmark on all of its coins until its closure at the end of 1941 with the Japanese invasion. In 1936, to commemorate the Philippines becoming a Commonwealth and no longer a mere territory, Ambrosia Morales was commissioned to generate new coin designs for the commemorative Fifty Centavos and One Peso. The coins he designed featured Manuel Quezon as the Philippine's first Commonwealth President and General Murphy and American President Franklin Roosevelt. A new design for the reverse based on the seal of the Commonwealth he designed was also introduced on those commemoratives, and featured on all Philippine coins minted from 1937 until 1946. When Philippine coinage production resumed in 1944, the One, Five, and Fifty Centavo pieces were again struck in San Francisco (complete with "S" mintmark), Five Centavo pieces were also struck in Philadelphia (no mintmark), and the Ten and Twenty Centavo pieces were struck in Denver, introducing the "D" mintmark to Philippine coinage. All of these coins featured the new Commonwealth reverse design. On July 4, 1946, the era of the Commonwealth ended as indepenence was granted to the Philippines as a sovereign nation.
The Manila Mint struck coins in the following denominations:
Base Metal Denominations (identical to alloys used for United States One Cent and Five Cents)
- One Centavo (1920-1922, 1925-1934, and 1936-1941)
- Five Centavos (1920-1921, 1925-1928, 1930-1932, 1934-1935, 1937-1938, and 1941)
Silver Denominations (seventy-five percent silver for Ten through Fifty Centavos and eighty percent for the One Peso)
- Ten Centavos (1920-1921, 1929, 1935, 1937-1938, and 1941)
- Twenty Centavos (1920-1921, 1928-1929, 1937-1938, and 1941)
- Fifty Centavos (1920-1921 and 1936 Commemorative)
- One Peso (1936 Commemorative only, with two varieties)
Leper Colony Coinage (struck in aluminum 1920 and brass all later years)
- One Centavo (1927 and 1930)
- Five Centavos (1927)
- Ten Centavos (1920 and 1930)
- Twenty Centavos (1920 and 1922)
- One Peso (1920, 1922, and 1925)
In addition, a medal (commonly called the 'Wilson Dollar,' owing to having a design featuring then-current U. S. President Wilson and being similar in size to a silver dollar) was issued in gold, silver, and copper in 1920 to commemorate the opening of the Manila Mint.