Friday, January 24, 2014

Face Value

President Andres Bonifacio first appeared in Philippine Money when the Philippine Health Service minted the 10 Centavo coin for the Cullion Leper Colony, Palawan in 1930. The coins were exclusively used by the patients within the colony and was not legal tender outside the island. Bonifacio (together with Gen. Emilio Jacinto) next appeared on the Twenty Peso bill which was circulated in 1949 until the bill's devaluation in 1969. As part of the celebration of his birth, Andres Bonifacio was also feature in the one peso coin that was minted in 1963.

The Supremo also appeared in the Pilipino Series (circulated, 1968) and the Bagong Lipunan Series (Pilipino Series with "Ang Bagong Lipunan" overprint and with slight color scheme changes), both on the Five Peso Bill, a spot that was later on held by the man who had him killed in the mountains of Maragondon.

In 1983, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas minted the Flora and Fauna series, featuring Andres Bonifacio on the decagonal Two Peso coin with Coconut Tree (Cocos Nucifera) on the reverse. The Central Bank of the Philippines released the "improved" Flora and Fauna series in 1991, with all of the coins now made smaller and in a uniform circular shape. To commemorate the centennial of Bonifacio's execution, the BSP minted a 500 Peso coin bearing Andres Bonifacio's likeness, together with a sun with a Ka written in the old Tagalog script in the middle, in 1997.

In 1998, Andres Bonifacio was also featured in the Ten Peso bill alongside Apolinario Mabini, the adviser of Captain Emilio Aguinaldo. Andres Bonifacio also appeared on the 100, 000 Peso Bill, the largest legal tender banknote to be printed in the world. The banknote was released in 1998 as part of the celebration of the Centennial of Aguinaldo's declaration of Independence in Cavite. The likeness of the two heroes were minted alongside each other in the New Generation of coinage which was circulated in 2000. Recently, the Central Bank of the Philippines released a commemorative Ten peso coin celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Bonifacio's birth.

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