Culion 1913 1/2 centavo
This specimen was lot 58117 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $144. The catalog description[1] noted, "PHILIPPINES. Culion Leper Colony. 1/2 Centavo, 1913. Manila Mint. PCGS MS-62. PCGS Population: 7; only 2 finer." This coin was minted for the leper colony on Culion Island in 1913. There was a widespread belief that leprosy could be spread by exchanging money, so several governments issued special coins for their leper colonies. Besides the Philippines, leper colony coins are known from Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. Advances in medical knowledge have dispelled this myth and most of the colonies have closed and the coinage redeemed. The Philippine Health Service issued base-metal half centavos for Culion Island in 1913. Unlike the other denominations, high grade specimens are available, leading some to think this was never issued.
Recorded mintage: 17,000.
Specification: aluminum, 19.5 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-1.
- Basso, Aldo P., Coins, Medals and Tokens of the Philippines, Menlo Park, CA: 1968.
- Ganzon de Legarda, Angelita, Piloncitos to Pesos, A Brief History of Coinage in the Philippines, Manila: Bancom Development Corporation, 1976.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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