20 Centavos

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was established in 1935 as a transitional government under U.S. oversight, and its coinage — including this issue — was struck at the Philadelphia and Manila mints. Production at the Manila Mint was disrupted in late 1941 when Japanese forces invaded; dies and equipment were reportedly destroyed or hidden to prevent their capture. Coins dated 1944 and 1945 revert entirely to Philadelphia production, struck for a government operating in exile.

The 1944-S San Francisco striking of this type is notably scarcer than its Philadelphia counterparts.