It is up to the seller to be aware of what he is selling just as much as it is up to buyer to be aware of what he is buying. Many worn-down silver coins are indeed worth their scrap metal value: there are plenty of them in better condition to supply the demand of collectors (and price is all about supply and demand). The warning against polishing coins is also easy to understand: it destroys the details of the coin, and thereby diminishes its value. Now once in a while, a coin trader will come across something really valuable in a lot, and then you can't blame them selling it at the market value, but most of the time, their margins won't be thousand to one (and prices asked are certainly not prices realized).--Jeroen.

Thanks for the hint, I've added a small section to the article for coin collectors.--Jeroen.

I think it is total hogwash... The production process of coins doesn't allow you to easily change the slabs from which coins are made, and gold is kept in saves far away from coin production plants. Reminds me of the story by Helen Mary Fee cited in this article about brand new copper coins taken for gold.--Jeroen.

Such coins where common some 15 years ago. I still have one just for keepsake.--Jeroen.

This is a well-known hoax (nonsense story). There is no gold in those bi-metal 10 peso coins.--Jeroen

Just email it to me. I currently have no way to post images in user comments, but if nice, can add pics to the article.--Jeroen.

The webmaster of this site is always very much interested in receiving high-resolution scans of Philippine currency notes, especially of rare WW2 emergency notes, and pre-WW2 currency.--Jeroen

Most likely an anting-anting, or amulet coin. The Eagle biting a snake is a typical Mexican symbol, but Mexican pesos normally mention the name of the country.--Jeroen.

The container containing the one-peso coins was set to be smuggled into Pusan, they said, and had a face value of some P30 million. about 666,000 dollars.

Customs officers seized the shipment on Thursday during a raid on a warehouse at Manila port following a tipoff, said Jimmy Perez, spokesman for the government's anti-smuggling task force.

They were going to ship it to South Korea where they would have been melted down for their copper and nickel content, Perez said.

The metals are used in the manufacture of computer chips.

No arrests were made but Perez said they are looking into the involvement of a local crime syndicate which may include employees of some banks who help in accumulating the coins. There have been several instances in the past of Filipino coins being smuggled out of the country to be melted down for their metal.

The Philippine Central Bank is minting new coins out of cheaper metal to curtail this practice.

Task force chief undersecretary Antonio Villar in an interview with a television network said that extracting copper and nickel from the coins is apparently more economical than mining the metals.

He quoted informants as saying a crime syndicate has been shipping the coins every week.

This is economic sabotage because we will soon be running out of coins, said Villar.

The export of Philippine coins is forbidden by law.

What is the cause of this? Inflation, caused by the government who puts more into circulation than is warranted by the economic output of the country, thereby undermining the value of money, and thereby levying an (unofficial) tax on peoples savings. A century ago the peso was made of silver, and had the purchasing power of about 500 pesos today. Now lets talk about economic sabotage.--Jeroen

Who should be in jail? Have those coins been stolen then? In a free and open society, trade in coins across borders should not land you in jail.--Jeroen.

Hmmm, odd question, the only Philippine 25 Peso coins I known of are made of silver, and in most circumstances that is a better conductor...--Jeroen

Remind me to change my e-address to .com.ph.

You use English. About 30% of the visitors to this site visit it from the US. This site is hosted in the US (both cheaper and faster than trying to host it in the Philippines) All signs of US dominance. Furthermore, in the current, economically interconnected world, "independence" is limited.--Jeroen.

Well, the site wasn't made for that, but you are certainly welcome. Maybe a dedicated Philippine coin site can be set up at some later time.--Jeroen.

I have one US-PHIL 10 centavo old coin since 1908.if anyone interested email me.

You forget one very important thing: prices of staple food are also up considerably. We are looking at two combined processes here: the slide of the dollar, and the growing price pressure on natural resources due to the growth of Asian economies. The slide of the dollar is actually (up to a certain level) beneficial the the US, as it finds its foreign debts (denominated in dollars) reduced, whereas its foreign possession (often valued in currencies such as the euro or yen) remain the same. At the same time, US products become much more attractive on world market.

It is very difficult to predict what this will lead to. Modern currencies are fiat currencies, which large corporate banks can print almost at will. By easy lending, banks have created a bubble in prices for houses (as people will pay what they can for a house, and easy lending enables them to pay a lot) When this bubble burst, a lot of this fictional money will simply disappear. As a result, people are trying to get rid of dollars and obtain assets perceived as more stable, such as gold or other currencies. This will continue until the credit crisis in the US is resolved.

The prices for crude oil and staple food are partly pushed up by the sliding dollar, and partly by increased demand. The demand will grow, regardless of how the financial crisis in the US will be resolved, so I don't expect that to stop. Increased prices are actually not that bad news for mainly agricultural provinces such as Bohol, as it will enable farmers to invest in growing rice and copra, as well as biofuels.

As to expectations. I cannot predict the future, but don't be surprised with the dollar sliding to 50 eurocents or 35 pesos, and the oil going through 300 dollars within a year.--Jeroen.

Thank you for this post. Quality is very important when evaluating coins, but most requests for values don't even mention that. I've found it impossible to obtain Philippine coins at reasonable prizes in the Philippines. Outside the Philippines, Philippine coins are sold at prices considerably lower than those asked in the Philippines, and more in line with what you state.--Jeroen.

The coin was in circulation for a short time during the early American era, but was not popular, and quickly discontinued.--Jeroen.

That is one approach to coin collecting, but others can have a different attitude. For myself, having a little piece of history in hand, something that somebody used hundreds of years ago, and that has an attractive or interesting design is what makes collecting coins nice, and I typically avoid what is called "non-circulating legal tender" coins, such as those mentioned above.--Jeroen.

Serial numbers help the issuing bank to track both usage and durability of banknotes, and act as an additional measure against counterfeiting. Note that banknote serial numbers are not always sequential, but have certain characteristics that you can use to verify the number is valid. They can also help to track armed robbers, who will be given a set of notes with numbers registered in advance, and never given to customers. I have no clue what the asterisks are for.--Jeroen

In the Philippines, few libraries will have it. However, the Krause catalog is a great resource, but it's prices are oriented towards the U.S. market. Going prices in the Philippines may be different, that is, more expensive for rare coins (bigger demand), but cheaper for common coins (bigger supply). Note also some traders use the prices of Krause, but without taking into account proper grading. I typically found it cheaper to buy Philippine coins abroad.--Jeroen.

These belong to an older series of coins, which are no longer in use. I will try to add details on these to the site.--Jeroen.

The 1972 1 peso coin is cupro-nickel, not silver, and claiming it is worth 1000 pesos is far over the top. If somebody comes to your door with that story, it may be for some completely different reason, such as finding out where you keep your money in the house. The exact price is determined by market forces, and for collectors depends on the quality of the coin. Coins in brand new condition will be worth much more than worn or polished coins. Note that I've never bought Philippine coins in the Philippines; the asking prices are far too high, and often several times of what is asked for the same coins in Europe.--Jeroen.

A word of caution: NEVER clean or polish your coins. Valuable “dirty” coins can lose significant value though “cleaning”. Thanks!

Thank you.

They are definitely not from the year 1101, and are probably not money. What they are, and what they are worth, I don't know.--Jeroen.

Nobody can give a market value for a coin without seeing it, and assessing its condition. There is no silver in 1972 circulation Philippine Peso coins.--Jeroen.

It does not need to be cleaned or polished, just like the antiques and the paintings, to preserve its value. It also open my eyes, that there are coin collectors in the Philippines, not just in the antique shops. Just like in painting, yyou have to collect some named artists and some are incoming to be great. Coin collections is knowing the art of collecting, and the history that it was created.

In painting, the priced value will depend on the the year it was created, the artist who made it, and the accomplishment the artist made, popularity and his contribution to the art, will be a part in dictating the price.

I remember one artist I know, and this is Dean Jose Joya. The first time I saw his painting, it worth only P30,000.00, but after three weeks when I came back to the gallery, the price of the painting went up three times of the price I've seen three weeks ago, Dean Joya that time was in a coma. But after a month, it went up again ten times, I've heard that Dean Joya passed away, the reason why the price went up, no more production from the artist can be done.

In coin collection, the advantage now is the internet, where you can browse and explore about how much your collection sell in the market. Coin collecting is much more fun, you have to hunt for an old kind of domination. Sometimes you can hit the jackpot, when you find a good valued coin at the lower price. Different designs attract me a lot in collecting this item, it just like a mini sculpture, that need to be display, not only in a clear book, but have it frame, to make it more appreciative item. Coin colection, is like collecting one nation, their culture that was molded in the piece of silver, nickel or gold.

This is my first time, and I hope that to know more about this section....

As always, the price of things is determined by supply and demand. Once an artist dies, the supply of new works will end, and only existing works can be re-sold. This may increase the price dramatically if the artist becomes famous (Such as Van Gogh, who only sold one painting while alive, and whose works now fetch millions). However, most artists never become famous, so demand remains low. As with coins, my advise is: primarily buy art because you like it's beauty, not as an investment, unless you are a professional in the field.--Jeroen.

Originally, proof sets where made by a mint to present to dignitaries for official purposes. They are carefully made and handled, and typically packed in a nice box. Nowadays, proof sets are also made for collectors, and some collectors pay considerably more for them.--Jeroen.

I have no idea on values. They also issued commorative banknotes.--Jeroen.

ps. Victoria, nagtatagalog ako para madali sa directang sinusulatan ko na mas sanay sa tagalog, but if you want it in english no problem for me, I am more comfortable in the english medium :) also, this is a coin forum not a language forum. F.Y.I. ?!