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5 Centavos SBNC

Issuer Central Bank of the Philippines
Year 1951-1953
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Value 5 Centavos (0.05)
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Obverse lettering CENTRAL BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES THIS NOTE IS A LIABILITY OF THE CENTRAL BANK AND IS FULLY GUARANTEED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FIVE CENTAVOS THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR ALL DEBTS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
Reverse description The reverse is printed in red on a light pink ground, with the country name 'PHILIPPINES' in bold lettering across the top within a decorative frame. The centre is occupied by a large numeral '5' set within an ornate guilloche rosette flanked by symmetrical floral ornaments, with the denomination 'FIVE CENTAVOS' inscribed in a banner across the centre of the rosette. The background is filled with a fine repetitive microtext underprint reading 'CENTRAL BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES', and the printer's imprint appears at the foot of the note.
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Comments

The Security Banknote Company of Philadelphia produced this series for the newly established Central Bank of the Philippines, which had only opened in January 1949 — the first time the country held full control over its own monetary policy after decades of the peso being pegged directly to the US dollar under the Philippine Commonwealth arrangement. These small-denomination centavo notes were part of the initial push to populate domestic circulation with distinctly Filipino currency.

The question mark on SBNC's contract date in most references reflects genuine archival gaps; the Central Bank's early procurement records are incomplete.