Culion 1922-PM peso
This specimen was lot 22408 in Ponterio sale 169 (Baltimore, November 2012), where it sold for $212. The catalog description[1] noted, "PHILIPPINES. Culion Leper Colony. Peso, 1922. Caduceus with curved wings. VERY FINE." This coin was minted for the leper colony on Culion Island, the Philippines, in 1922. 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 pesos for Culion Island in 1913, 1920, 1922 and 1925, each a different type. The coins are not rare today but this type is rare.
Recorded mintage: 8,280 (including KM 16).
Specification: copper-nickel.
Catalog reference: KM 17.
- 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]Ponterio, Richard, Ponterio sale 169: The November 2012 Baltimore Auction, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers, LLC, 2012.
Links to: