1 Peso Pope Paul VI, pattern

Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines in November 1970 — the first papal visit to Asia. The trip nearly ended in assassination when Bolivian painter Benjamín Mendoza y Amor lunged at him with a concealed knife at Manila International Airport. The pattern peso was struck to commemorate the visit, and the copper composition distinguishes it from circulation-issue alternatives explored during the same period. Pattern status means it never advanced to an approved mintage, leaving surviving pieces confined almost entirely to proof sets and institutional holdings.