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5 Pesos Circulating note, Red seal
| Issuer | Philippine National Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio-printed note with an oval vignette at left bearing a portrait of President William McKinley, framed by fine lathe-work guilloche. The central field carries the bank title and denomination text in bold letterpress, with a large circular red seal of the Philippine National Bank at right. Numeral '5' counters appear at the lower corners, and the upper border reads 'PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK CIRCULATING NOTE'; authorization text and 'SERIES OF 1937' are inscribed in the upper portion of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Entirely printed in orange, the reverse is dominated by bold central lettering reading 'PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK CIRCULATING NOTE' set within an ornate frame of acanthus scrollwork, foliate borders, and interlocking guilloche bands. A large Roman numeral 'V' vignette surmounts the central panel, flanked by numeral '5' counters at the lateral margins. The lower portion contains a legal tender clause in small text, with the imprint of the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing along the bottom edge. |
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| Comments |
The Philippine National Bank began issuing circulating notes denominated in pesos after the U.S. Treasury authorized local currency operations, and by the late 1930s the BEP-printed series had become the dominant paper medium in the archipelago. The red seal on this issue distinguishes it from earlier PNB circulating notes with different seal colors — a detail that matters for series identification more than most catalog descriptions acknowledge.
Japanese forces occupied Manila in January 1942 and promptly invalidated existing Philippine currency, issuing military scrip instead. PNB notes that survived the occupation often did so buried or hidden, and their physical condition reflects it.