Philippine Banknotes and Coins

Philippines Banknotes

Old Banknotes From The Philippine Islands

The Philippine Islands became a territory of The United States in 1898.  Five years later The Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington DC started printing paper money for The Philippines.  Many collectors of antique American currency also collect old bank notes from The Philippines.  The size of the money and printing quality is similar to US bank notes.  In fact, George Washington can even be found pictured on some Philippine Islands currency.  You have to remember that in the mind of the average 1930s American there really wasn’t any difference between Hawaii and The Philippines.  Both were just territories of the United States.  Many people still closely associate the two countries.

Silver Certificates (1903 – 1916)
El Banco Espanol Filipino Notes (1908)
Blacked Out Philippine National Bank Notes (1912)
Bank Of The Philippine Islands Currency (1912 – 1933)
Philippine National Bank Notes (1916 – 1937)
Emergency Circulating Notes (1917)
Treasury Certificates (1918 – 1949)
Victory Notes (Series No. 66)
Central Bank Overprint Victory Notes (Series No. 66)

Philippine Islands Silver Certificates

Silver certificates were issued for two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred, and five hundred pesos denominations.  A general rule of thumb is that any denomination over 20 silver pesos should be considered scarce. These just weren’t preserved in nice enough conditions to reach such high grades.  All silver certificates fit very well in modern United States currency collections because they are basically the exact same size as our paper money is today.  In terms of collectability, silver certificates are really where the most money gets spent.

1903 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Silver Certificate

1906 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Silver Certificate

1903 Philippine Islands 5 Pesos Silver Certificate

1910 Philippine Islands 5 Pesos Silver Certificate

1903 Philippine Islands 10 Pesos Silver Certificate


1905 Philippine Islands 20 Pesos Silver Certificate

1908 Philippine Islands 20 Pesos Silver Certificate

1905 Philippine Islands 50 Pesos Silver Certificate

1916 Philippine Islands 50 Pesos Silver Certificate

1905 Philippine Islands 100 Pesos Silver Certificate

1916 Philippine Islands 100 Pesos Silver Certificate

1905 Philippine Islands 500 Pesos Silver Certificate

1906 Philippine Islands 500 Pesos Silver Certificate

El Banco Espanol Filipino Currency

All of these bank notes are dated for 1908, or 1 Enero 1908.  These often get overlooked because they are in Spanish.  In 1908 the bank just happened to still have its original Spanish name.  These were still printed under the authority of The United States.  The 1912 bank notes have the standard English title that we are more familiar with.  Most Spanish language versions were printed in extremely low quantities in higher denominations.



1908 20 Pesos  El Banco Espanol Filipino

1908 50 Pesos  El Banco Espanol Filipino

1908 100 Pesos  El Banco Espanol Filipino

1908 200 Pesos  El Banco Espanol Filipino

Bank of the Philippine Islands Currency

This series of paper money actually has a two hundred pesos denomination bank note.  All of this currency was printed on sheets each containing five bank notes.  These were also printed in The United States by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

1918 Philippine National Bank One Peso Circulating Note

1921 Philippine National Bank One Peso Circulating Note


1916 Philippine National Bank 2 Pesos Circulating Note

1921 Philippine National Bank 2 Pesos Circulating Note



1937 Philippine National Bank 5 Pesos Circulating Note

1916 Philippine National Bank 10 Pesos Circulating Note

1921 Philippine National Bank 10 Pesos Circulating Note

1937 Philippine National Bank 10 Pesos Circulating Note



1937 Philippine National Bank 20 Pesos Circulating Note

1920 Philippine National Bank 50 Pesos Circulating Note

1920 Philippine National Bank 100 Pesos Circulating Note

Philippine National Bank Circulating Notes

These were first printed by The United States for use on The Philippine Islands in 1916.  Each bank note was printed on a sheet containing five notes total.  Starting in 1921 these were printed on sheets each containing ten bank notes.

1912 5 Pesos Philippine Bank Note

1920 5 Pesos Philippine Bank Note

1928 5 Pesos Philippine Bank Note


1912 10 Pesos Philippine Bank Note


1928 10 Pesos Philippine Bank Note

1933 10 Pesos Philippine Bank Note


1920 20 Pesos Philippine Bank Note

1928 20 Pesos Philippine Bank Note

1933 20 Pesos Philippine Bank Note




1928 100 Pesos Philippine Bank Note


1928 200 Pesos Philippine Bank Note

Philippine Islands Treasury Certificates

These were printed for a couple of decades.  Denominations range from one peso to five hundred pesos. Star notes were first issued in January of 1919.  Stars were used to replace money that was misprinted.  Another thing you might notice about treasury certificates is that some say Philippine Islands and other says Philippines.  Currency issued after 1935 used The Philippines title.


1924 Philippine Islands One Peso Treasury Certificate

1929 Philippine Islands One Peso Treasury Certificate

1936 Philippine Islands One Peso Treasury Certificate


1918 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1924 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1929 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1936 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1941 Philippine Islands 2 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1918 Philippine Islands 5 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1924 Philippine Islands 5 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1929 Philippine Islands 5 Pesos Treasury Certificate


1941 Philippine Islands 5 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1918 Philippine Islands 10 Pesos Treasury Certificate


1929 Philippine Islands 10 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1936 Philippine Islands 10 Pesos Treasury Certificate



1929 Philippine Islands 20 Pesos Treasury Certificate


1941 Philippine Islands 20 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1918 Philippine Islands 50 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1929 Philippine Islands 50 Pesos Treasury Certificate


1918 Philippine Islands 100 Pesos Treasury Certificate


1936 Philippine Islands 100 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1918 Philippine Islands 500 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1924 Philippine Islands 500 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1929 Philippine Islands 500 Pesos Treasury Certificate

1936 Philippines 500 Pesos Treasury Certificate

Victory Notes (Series No. 66)

Some treasury certificates have a back that is overprinted with the word VICTORY. Victory notes were first used by The Philippines on October 20, 1944.  General MacArthur brought the new currency with him when he landed on Leyte Island.

One Peso 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66

2 Pesos 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66

5 Pesos 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66

10 Pesos 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66

20 Pesos 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66

50 Pesos 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66


500 Pesos 1944 Treasury Certificate Victory Series No. 66

1949 Central Bank of the Philippines Overprint Victory Notes

This is the second version of Philippine Victory notes.  The back of each note has the standard Victory overprint, but it also says Central Bank of The Philippines.  Notes with a Central Bank overprint were issued up until 1949.

1 Peso Victory 1949 Central Bank Of The Philippines Overprint

2 Pesos Victory 1949 Central Bank Of The Philippines Overprint

5 Pesos Victory 1949 Central Bank Of The Philippines Overprint




100 Pesos Victory 1949 Central Bank Of The Philippines Overprint



Philippines Coins