Philippines 1859 2 centimos
This specimen was lot 78358 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2025), where it sold for $1,440. The catalog description[1] noted, "PHILIPPINES. Copper 2 Centimes Pattern, 1859. Paris Mint. Isabel II. PCGS SPECIMEN-65 Red Brown. A stunning and most pleasing Pattern example, with sharp details and alluring mint red retained. A piece that is scant offered this attractive, as this example stands tied with three others for the finest graded specimen yet holdered by PCGS." Other patterns of 1859 include 20, 40 and 80 reaux in copper and two and four pesos in gilt copper. None were adopted and the Spanish never produced milled copper coinage for their colony. Gold coinage commenced in 1861 and silver coinage in 1864.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: copper.
Catalog reference: KM-Pn12; Basso-77.
- 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, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Juan Carlos I, 1474 a 2001, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2008.
- O'Connor, Patrick, The Coins of Queen Isabel II of Spain: A Detailed Study of the Coins, Patterns and Medals of Her Reign, San Antonio, TX: Aurora Rarities, LLC, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, November 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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