Item number: A1944

Year: AD 1912

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.1 x 24.6 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 5.15 g

Manufactured by: San Francisco Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a One Centavo bronze coin issued in AD 1912, under the United States administration of the Philippines, which was then an American colony.

The obverse of the coin features a muscular man wearing only shorts, seated on a large anvil, holding a hammer in his right hand while gazing toward a smoking volcano on the right. The upper edge of the coin bears the denomination inscribed in Latin script as “ONE CENTAVO”, while the lower edge displays the issuing country, written as “FILIPINAS” (Philippines). The obverse of this coin exhibits more wear compared to the reverse.

The reverse of the coin features a shield with a design inspired by the American flag, atop which stands a bald eagle clutching a laurel branch in one talon and a bundle of arrows in the other, symbolising peace and military strength. Surrounding this central emblem is the inscription “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” while the year of issue, “1912,” is displayed at the bottom. In the lower left corner, the coin bears the mint mark “S”, indicating that it was struck at the San Francisco Mint.

After the 16th century Age of Exploration, the Philippines became a crucial trading and colonial outpost for Spain in Asia. However, as Spain’s power declined in the 19th century, its hold over the Philippines weakened. In AD 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out, and the United States emerged victorious, acquiring the Philippines and other Spanish territories in Asia. This marked the beginning of American colonial rule in the Philippines, which lasted until the country gained independence after World War II.

物件編號: A1944

年代: 公元 1912 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.1 x 24.6 x 1.2 mm

重量: 5.15 g

製造地: 舊金山造幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚公元1912年，作為美國殖民地的菲律賓發行之面額1分的青銅幣。

錢幣正反兩面各有一道齒邊，正面的磨損較背面來得嚴重。錢幣正面的左側是一名僅有穿著短褲，展現健壯身材的男子右手握著一把鐵鎚，並且坐在一個大鐵砧上望著右側冒著白煙的火山。錢幣上緣以拉丁文打印面額「ONE CENTAVO」(一分)，下緣則是標示地名「FILIPINAS」(菲律賓)。

錢幣背面是一個美國國旗風格的盾牌，盾牌上站著一隻腳上握著月桂葉和箭簇的老鷹。圖騰的周圍以英文標示國名「UNITED STATES OF AMERICA」(美利堅合眾國) 和發行年份「1912」，左下角則是鑄造單位舊金山造幣廠的戳記「S」。

公元16世紀大航海時代以來，菲律賓一直作為歐洲海權國家先驅西班牙在亞洲重要的貿易殖民地據點。然而進入公元19世紀，隨著西班牙的國勢日益衰敗，公元1898年，新興的海權國家美國向西班牙發動戰爭，成功獲得菲律賓在內等西班牙於亞洲的殖民地。