MYKOYNS
Philippine Numismatics

Explore Spanish-Philippine decimal coins and learn how to collect colonial Philippine coinage. This guide covers the Manila Mint, major coin series, denominations, and challenges collectors encounter.

When I added a beautiful 1893 Japanese 1 Yen silver coin to my collection, I had no idea how to read the date! Japan uses a fascinating dating system based on its emperors, and in this post, I’ll show you exactly how I deciphered it—from recognizing the Era to translating Japanese numerals.

During WWII, Japan issued its own currency in the Philippines—called Japanese Invasion Money. Nicknamed “Mickey Mouse Money,” these notes quickly lost value due to overprinting, lack of trust, and Allied counterfeiting. But behind these worthless bills lies a fascinating story of economic manipulation and wartime survival.

Explore mule coins of the Philippines through detailed numismatic study and identification. Learn how mismatched dies created rare United States–Philippine (USPI) mule coin varieties, discover notable examples across different denominations, and understand the diagnostic features collectors use to identify these unusual and highly collectible Philippine coins.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has released its latest commemorative coin—a 750-piso silver piece celebrating the bank’s 75th anniversary. This marks BSP’s third major commemorative issue, following releases in 1999 and 2019. The release was highly anticipated, though not without hiccups on the BSP Store website.

While the world braced for the Y2K bug in 2000, the Philippines quietly launched its first bimetallic coin—the 10 Piso Millennium Coin. Once a circulating coin, it has now become a prized collector’s item with growing market value and historical significance.

Last April 2024, I attended my very first numismatic show—and it was more than just coins on tables. It was a community, a classroom, and a marketplace all rolled into one. Here's what I saw, learned, and why I think every collector should experience it at least once.

Explore how Lapu-Lapu is represented in Philippine numismatics, from the 1-Sentimo coin of the Ang Bagong Lipunan series to modern commemorative medals issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.