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.
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.