Philippines Half Centavos 1903-1908

History

The act of Congress of March 2, 1903 set up a coinage for the Philippine Islands under United States rule, tied to the American dollar at two pesos to one dollar. Its smallest coin was the bronze half centavo. The Filipino sculptor and engraver Melecio Figueroa won the competition for the designs and died in July 1903, soon after his coins went into use.

Every half centavo came from the Philadelphia Mint, which handled the base-metal Philippine coins and all the proofs in those early years. Business strikes are dated 1903 and 1904 only: the Red Book and Krause give 12,084,000 for 1903 and 5,654,000 for 1904. The coin found little favour in the islands, where it bought almost nothing, and it was withdrawn; accounts drawing on CoinWeek say the rest were melted after 1908. Philadelphia went on striking half centavos for the Philippine proof sets of 1905, 1906 and 1908, so those three dates exist only as proofs.

How to Identify It

Obverse. A young man, bare to the waist, sits beside an anvil with a hammer in his hand. Behind him the volcano Mount Mayon trails smoke. The value runs above him and FILIPINAS, the Spanish name of the islands, below.

Reverse. An eagle with spread wings stands on the shield of the United States, inside the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; the date sits below the shield.

Size. The half centavo is about 17.5 mm across, much smaller than the 24 mm centavo with the same design. There is no mint mark on any date.

Key Dates and Varieties

1903: the first business strike, 12,084,000 coins. A 1903 proof was made for the first Philippine proof sets; Greysheet and CoinVarieties give 2,558.
1904: 5,654,000 business strikes, the last for circulation, and a 1904 proof (1,355 in Greysheet's listing).
1905 proof: proof only. The Red Book table on Wikipedia, Greysheet and CoinVarieties give 471; Wikipedia's own summary speaks of about 500 sets.
1906 proof and 1908 proof: proof only, 500 each. The Director of the Mint's report for the fiscal year 1908 lists 500 half-centavo proofs from Philadelphia. No half centavos are dated 1907.

In Our Catalog

No errors or varieties are listed for Philippines Half Centavos 1903-1908 yet. Submit one

Mintages

Philippines Half Centavos 1903-1908 mintages by year and mint, taken from each coin's page in our catalog. Each figure opens that coin's page, which lists its varieties and errors. A dash means no figure was recorded. Where one issue was struck in more than one type, each type is listed.

Year	P	Proof
1903	12,084,000	2,558
1904	5,654,000	—
1905		471
1906		500
1908		500

Composition

Composition: bronze
Weight: 2.59 grams (Wikipedia, CoinVarieties)
Diameter: 17.5 mm (Wikipedia; CoinVarieties rounds to 18 mm)
Edge: plain
Mint: Philadelphia, no mint mark

FAQ

Which half centavo dates were made for circulation?

Only 1903 and 1904. The Philadelphia Mint struck 12,084,000 dated 1903 and 5,654,000 dated 1904, figures given by both the Red Book and the Krause catalogue. The 1905, 1906 and 1908 half centavos are proofs from the yearly Philippine proof sets.

Why was the half centavo dropped?

People in the islands had little use for a coin of half a centavo and did not take to it. Philadelphia stopped making it for circulation after 1904, and accounts based on CoinWeek say the remaining pieces were melted after 1908.

Does the half centavo have a mint mark?

No. Every half centavo, business strike or proof, came from the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark on Philippine coins.

How many proofs were struck?

Greysheet and the Krause set figures give 2,558 proofs for 1903 and 1,355 for 1904. For 1905 the catalogues give 471, while Wikipedia gives about 500 sets for each of 1905, 1906 and 1908; the Red Book and Krause agree on 500 for 1906 and for 1908.

↑ Back to the coins: every year, mint, variety and error