Catalog
50 Pesos Silver certificate
| Issuer | Treasury of the Philippine Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Value | 50 Pesos |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio portrait of General Henry W. Lawton in military uniform within an oval vignette at left, with his name inscribed below. The denomination '50' appears in large numerals at upper left and right corners, with the title 'PHILIPPINE ISLANDS' and 'FIFTY SILVER PESOS' in bold central lettering. A red treasury seal is applied at right, accompanied by a 'Manila, Philippine Islands' overprint, and two manuscript signatures appear at center below the main text. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BY AUTHORITY OF AN ACT OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA APPROVED JUNE 23, 1906 THIS CERTIFIES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED IN THE TREASURY OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FIFTY SILVER PESOS PAYABLE TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND IN SILVER PESOS OR IN GOLD COIN OF THE UNITED STATES OF EQUIVALENT VALUE SILVER CERTIFICATE |
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| Comments |
The Silver Certificate series for the Philippine Islands was a direct product of the Philippine Coinage Act of 1903, which placed the archipelago on a managed silver standard pegged to the U.S. gold dollar at two pesos to one. These certificates were fully backed by silver pesos deposited with the insular treasury, functioning as genuine warehouse receipts rather than fiat instruments.
By 1916, the BEP was already producing Philippine currency using the same intaglio techniques applied to U.S. domestic issues. The high denomination made this a note that moved through commercial and banking channels almost exclusively — retail circulation was effectively nil.