1903-S Philippine-American Coin

By Justine Chanco

One of the most famous Christian wedding traditions in the Philippines is the use of arrhae, thirteen coins that bring luck to the married couple’s wealth. My great-great-grandfather used the 1903-S Philippine-American coin during his wedding on June 12, 1910. It was then passed down to his daughter in 1943, her son in 1973, my grandfather, and lastly, my father in 2003. One coin weighs 26.96 grams, with a diameter of 37mm. It is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, just like other coins minted in the US before 1965. These coins are of great historical and monetary value, and they are rare to own today.

Designed by Filipino artist Melecio Figueroa, the first set of Philippine-American coins were released in 1903. These were known as “Conant Coins”, after American monetary expert, Charles A. Conant. On one side of the coin, a Filipina striking an anvil with a hammer is seen. Behind her is Mayon Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines today. It reads “one peso” at the top and “Filipinas” below. The other side of the coin shows the Great Seal of the United States, an eagle with its wings spread out above a shield with thirteen stars and thirteen lines, representing the thirteen original states of the US. It reads “United States of America” and the year it was created, in this case 1903, at the bottom. According to Dan Levi Iral, a coin collector from Bulacan, the hammer and the anvil represent industrialization in the Philippines, a key feature of American colonization.

During the early period of US colonization, Spanish coins circulating in the Philippines didn’t convert exactly into the American currency. American coins, on the other hand, were too highly valued for the unstable Philippine economy back then. The Coinage Act of 1903 was therefore passed. US-Philippine coins were created with the same standard as American coins, but referred to as pesos and centavos like Spanish coins.

Shortly after the publication of the first Philippine-American coins, silver prices started to rise. The silver coins were being brought out of the country illegally, so the Americans stopped the minting of peso coins in 1906. They took back these coins and re-melted them. They then started minting peso coins in reduced sizes and lesser fineness. This explains why Philippine-American coins from 1907 onwards are smaller than those from 1903-1906.

In the past, these coins were important to the economy only for its monetary value. Now, not only are they rare to find and have an even greater monetary value, but they remind Filipinos today of the struggles their ancestors faced and the improvements made in the country during the American colonization. As for these thirteen coins, they will continue to live on as arrhae for the generations to come.