107. BONIFACIO’S MONEY

BONIFACIO’S MONEY

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

30 November 2019

“The Great Plebeian” is one of the titles bestowed to Gat Andres Bonifacio. He is always referred to as our poor national hero who was orphaned at 19 and gave up schooling to find a regular source of income to sustain his siblings. Today after 137 years, Gat Andres who had a hard time to earn money in his lifetime can be seen in the new five peso coin now in general circulation. For the past decades the silhouette of Gat Andres has been etched in eight Philippine coins and four banknotes.

Today, we celebrated the 156^th birth anniversary of the Father of the Philippine Revolution. Filipinos, young and old knows the name and are aware that he is the Supremo of the Katipunan, the revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish colonialism Filipinos in Manila in 1892 whose primary goal was to gain independence from Spain through a revolution.

 

Numerous controversies hounded Gat Andres during his lifetime even after his death. His demise is the country’s top historical political scandal since his breath was cut off not by the foreigners he defied but by fellow revolutionaries. Today, 122 years after his tragic death, issues are still high whether he should be declared the country’s foremost hero and as the first president of the Philippines.

Despite all this controversies and issues, Gat Andres remains a household name and his image has been very visible in every pocket of residents of the country’s over 7,100 island. Together with other great Filipino nationalists, he was immortalized in our circulating denomination.

From 1913 to 1930, the American government in the Philippines issued the Culion Leper Colony coinage for the lepers confined in Culion Island, Palawan to prevent leprosy in healthy persons. The copper-nickel, 28mm, round, 10 centavo coin of the islands and its stations was the first Andres Bonifacio coin struck. The currency was discontinued after leprosy became treatable disease in the 1980s.

In 1963, a centennial commemorative coin for Bonifacio was issued to celebrate his 100^th birth anniversary with the bust of the national hero in the observe and the seal of the Central Bank of the Philippines (CBP) in the reverse. The silver, 26 grams, 38 mm in diameter, reed edge, non-circulating 1 Peso coin was issued only in the same year.

In 1983, the CBP issued the “Flora & Fauna Series” with a 2 Peso decagonal coin bearing Bonifacio’s bust facing left. The reverse has a palm tree design with lettering: COCOS NUCIFERA. The copper-nickel, 12 grams, 31 mm in diameter, 2 mm thick, plain edge, standard circulating coin was issued until 1990 and demonetized on February 1, 1998.

In 1991, the decagonal 2 Peso coin was reshaped to round with the same prints in the “Improved Flora & Fauna Series”. The stainless steel, 5 grams, 23.5 mm in diameter, 1.8 mm thick, reed edge was issued until 1994 and demonetized on February 1, 1998.

In 1997, a commemorative death centenary coin (1897-1997) of Bonifacio with the Philippine flag at the reverse was issued by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The silver reeded edged 500 Peso coin was issued only in the same year.  

In the year 2000, the “BSP Coin Series” was issued by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) with Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini in the reverse with the logo of the BSP in the observe. The round bimetallic aluminium-bronze center in copper-nickel ring, 8.7 grams, 26.5 mm in diameter, 2.14 mm thick, segmented reed edge, standard circulating 10 Peso coin was minted until 2017.

In 2013, a 10 Peso circulating commemorative coin was issued by the BSP to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Bonifacio (1863-2013) with the silhouette of Gat Andres in the observe and the letters “DANGAL AT KABAYANIHAN” in the reverse. The round bimetallic nickel-brass center in copper-nickel ring, 8.7 grams, 26.5 mm in diameter, 2 mm thick, reed sections edge coin was minted only in the same year.

In 2017, the “New Generation Series” or the latest Philippine coinage was issued by the BSP with Bonifacio imprinted in the observe of the 5 Peso coin. The reverse features the tayabak, a Philippine endemic plant. The nickel plated steel, 7.4 grams, 25 mm in diameter, 2.2 mm thick, plain edge is the present 5 Peso circulating coin.

Aside from the eight coins, four Philippine banknotes were issued with the picture of Bonifacio in the observe. All the legal tender banknotes have a standard size of 160x66 millimeters.

In 1949, the newly established Central Bank of the Philippines (CBP) issued what is now known as the “English Series” Philippine money; however, it was first released on April 15, 1951. The face of Bonifacio together with Emilio Jacinto first appeared in its 20 Peso bank note with orange as the dominant color. The Kartilya ng Katipunan and the Balintawak Monument pictures were printed in the reverse. The paper bill was last printed in 1967 and in circulation until February 28, 1974.

In 1969, the CBP issued the “Pilipino Series” banknotes with Bonifacio as the main character in the five peso with the Sanduguan or Blood Compact of the Katipuneros in the reverse. The paper money with green as the dominant color was first issued on May 5, 1969 and was withdrawn from public on April 30, 1980.

In 1978, the “Ang Bagong Lipunan Series” (ABL) was issued by the CBP with the features of the five peso bill very much similar to the Pilipino Series with the ABL logo as additional design. The paper bill with green also as the dominant color was first issued on March 17, 1978 and was demonetized on February 2, 1996.

In 1997, under the “New Design/BSP Series” (1985-1993) a redesigned 10 Peso banknote was issued on May 2, 1997 with the photos of Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini on the observe and the Barasoain Church and Blood Compact of the Katipuneros in the reverse. The dominantly brown banknote was withdrawn from public use on December 29, 2017. At present, no Philippine banknote in circulation bears the image of Bonifacio.

Gat Andres Bonifacio is also honored in so many ways like naming of streets, schools, monuments, stamps, plays, movies, books, comics, ships and others. But the most “valuable” recognition is the engraved silhouette of the Great Plebeian in Philippine currency. Very ironic since the poor national hero was immortalized in legal tenders, the very object he has a small amount during his lifetime.