Catalog
10 Pesos - Isabel II
| Issuer | Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II |
|---|---|
| Year | 1852-1865 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Pesos |
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| Obverse description | Central oval vignette engraved portrait of Queen Isabel II, crowned and wearing a veil, set within a laurel wreath surmounted by a royal crown. Denomination counters reading "PsFs 10" appear at upper left and upper right, flanked by elaborate guilloche rosettes and ornamental scrollwork borders. The date "1o de Enero de 1865" and place name "Manila" are printed twice across the lower central field, with three signature lines below for El Comisario Regio, El Director, and El Cajero, and a small anti-counterfeiting warning vignette at the foot of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel 2a á la presentacion de este billete pagará al portador DIEZ pesos fuertes. 1o de Enero de 1865 Manila 1o de Enero de 1865 El Comisario Regio / El Tenedor de libros El Director. El Cajero. El falsificador será juzgado como monedero falso. |
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| Comments |
The Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II was the first bank established in the Philippines, chartered by royal decree in 1851 and named in honor of the reigning Spanish queen. This 10 Pesos note belongs to the bank's inaugural series — among the earliest Western-style banknotes ever issued in Southeast Asia. The printing was done locally in Manila, not shipped from a European security printer, which was unusual for a colonial bank of this period and likely contributed to the relatively crude execution compared to contemporary colonial issues from British or Dutch territories.
The bank's charter was eventually revised following Isabel II's deposition in 1868, and the institution was renamed Banco Español Filipino — the royal honorific quietly dropped from both name and subsequent note designs.