Culion 1913 5 centavos
This specimen was lot 72698 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2019), where it sold for $1,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "PHILIPPINES. Culion Leper Colony. 5 Centavos, 1913. NGC AU-55. A charming issue from this famous leper colony, the present specimen offers problem free surfaces and a hint of remaining luster. The finest graded by NGC." This coin was minted for the leper colony on Culion Island, the Philippines, 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 5 centavos for Culion Island in 1913 and 1927, each a different type. The coins are not rare today but this type is rare.
Recorded mintage: 6,600.
Specification: aluminum, 26 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-6.
- 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, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The October 2019 Collector's Choice Sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2019.
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