The 1903 S Fifty Centavos: From P10 to $22, 000

The 1903 San Francisco Mint fifty centavos is perhaps the most expensive United States-Philippines coin ever sold, catalog at $22, 000. Only 2 specimen have reported and only one formally auctioned for the price mentioned. Do not mistake this one for the common 1903 Philadelphia Mint fifty centavos. This coin is an absolute rarity.The story of how this coin surfaced is still a mystery but there is however rumors in the Philippine Numismatic And Antiquarian Society and even the former owner spreading how this coin made history and has changed the life of a neophyte coin seller.The story goes like this according to its former owner; It was...

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The Mysterious White 25 Centavos

I have recently acquired a collection of unusual errors composing of a series of odd twenty-five centavo coins. Instead of the usual golden yellowish texture, these coins are white metallic textured. I though first that these coins were intentionally dipped into zinc thus making the white appearance but my assumption was wrong, these coins were actually white plated coins in mint condition. The Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas could not explained how did this happen but after scrutiny these appears to be coins struck on foreign planchets or possibly planchets intended for another denomination or old stock planchets. The one dating 2001 looks like...

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