Monday, March 19, 2007
OLD COINS & CURRENCY VENDOR
Labels: coin and currency vendor, Manila, Sta Cruz street vendors
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:09 AM
37 Comments:
-
ipanema said... I never knew there's someone hawking this. I collect coins and bills from different countries. It would be nice to see this when I go for a visit. Good shots, Eric.
BTW, I've come with something of GOLD standard. :)
The
Thinking Blogger Award
Details on my blog. Walang expiry date yan.
"You can ignore this award as you will, no offence will be taken, just a mark of my esteem."-
Señor Enrique said...
This photo essay which I had to submit (as one of three requirements for my Advance Photography Workshop), Ipanema, was inspired by Sheilamarie's entry about the vintage peso bills passed on to her by her father.
I am truly and deeply touched by your having chosen my site and the kind words you afforded it. I am deeply honored.
Thank you very much!-
Sebastiane said...
Good shots!
Never knew people would still be selling old currencies.
(:-
carlotta1924 said...
wow! how much are they selling those old coins and bills?
there are also some antique stores in megamall that carry those. i just forgot how much. ^^;;
also saw prewar and wartime newspapers that sell for a thousand pesos up.-
NOYPETES said...
Did she have any of the Japanese occupation money or "perang hapon"?
The old one centavo coins or isang pera or "mamera", was also tossed into a vat of hot boiling oil or on a huge kawali when deep frying bananas with brown sugar to prevent the melted sugar from sticking on the surface of the kawali....beats me why it works!-
Sidney said...
I am surprised there is still so much old coins and paper money on sale.
Nice series.-
said... i'm also a collector of those old peso bills. there are a handful of them in Greenhills
the last one I bought was a "Mickey mouse" money for P20 only
mickey mouse money means peso during the 2nd world war.
I was actually planning to post something about those bills and the history in the illustrations including inaccuracies.
I also collect bills/coins from the countries I visited
:)-
said...
btw, eric, you may also visit the Central Bank museum on Roxas blvd near vito cruz plus the nearby Metropolitan museum for the awesome collection of pre-hispanic gold coins and accesories
lastly, furtively take pictures of Fort San Antonio Abad behind the buidling. the lost fort of Intramuros that I once blogged about :)-
said...
Wow! I didn't know that they had the five centavos in bills back then. It must have worth a lot during those times.
BTW, congrats on the nomination or is it nominations (?) at the Philippine Blog Awards. I thought I saw your name twice, but when I checked again, I only saw your name once.-
said...
Eric, I wonder if those bills are authentic.
It's very easy to reproduce bills nowadays, with just the aid of efficient computer, scanner and laser printer. Kayang kaya nilang gayahin. We had a neighbor before who manufactured counterfeit bills right in his home. He was apprehended though.
Nice photos, especially the fifth and the last ones. :)-
Señor Enrique said...
There's only two in Plaza Sta. Cruz who trade in these collectible items, Kyels. But just now learning from Carla and Tito (Tutubi) of other merchants in Megamall and Greenhills.
Thanks :)-
Señor Enrique said...
The crispy bills on the fifth photo, Carla, go from 3oo-to-1000 pesos each. The coins I got cost me 10 pesos each for the 1975 editio of 5 peso coins.
She only sells coins and currencies; no collectible newspapers.-
Señor Enrique said...
The top photo, Noypetes, are some bills from the Japanese occupation period. They even have those miniature-like bills from the same era.
Wow! That's some interesting piece of trivia about the centavo coins used in deep frying bananas and kamote :)
BTW, this photo essay was from our assignment -- Tindero/a at Tinda -- from Ed Santiago's photojournalism class.-
Señor Enrique said...
Didn't I tell you Sidney? These photos are from the photo essay I submitted in my class about the "vendor and his/her goods."
BTW, there were five judges from the faculty of University of the Philippines' Fine Arts Department. This photo essay of mine about Aling Conching was awarded second place!
I love your current series on street vendors, Sidney :)-
Señor Enrique said...
Interest in these collectibles require much time and study, Tito. I took photos of this vendor as assignment for school.
I bought ten 5-peso coins to give to friends and family :)
That's right, they call them Mickey Mouse money!-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Irene! How are you?
When I was in grade school, 25 centavos would buy me a bottle of Cosmos orange or sarsaparilla and one hopia :)
Thanks, but there are so many great sites nominated as well. Tough competition this is.-
Señor Enrique said...
A very valid point, Rhoda!
Like I said, I only took these photos as a clas project. One truly needs to study this whole market before diving into t because of the counterfeits that may be circulating in this trade.
Ah, keen eyes you have! The fifth was a very good "touch" that drew the judges' eyes; whereas the last shows that being a vendor involves lots of waiting for customers. A great ending pic for this photo essay :)-
Amadeo said...
This subject is more in my alley, because I too collect currencies when I can. And I noticed many commenters are into numismatics too.
I devote a little spin-off blog for this kind of stuff.
Re authenticity while always an issue to consider, many old Philippine currency notes, like the old fractional notes on pic no. 1, were almost like printed on ordinary coupon bond. Thus, they got mutilated easily. As I recall they were issued during the time of Magsaysay, but just as quickly disappeared.
The better old Philippine coins were those minted during the American regime, which minting ended in 1945.
I have a glut of the 5 centavo coins minted in US which I would be willing to part with if we can arrange for easy mailing and handling. Unfortunately, I brought all of them to the US during one of my return trips.-
sheilamarie said...
Great pics Eric! I see that the vendor, Aling Conching, has a lot of the old currencies for sale. Does she have a lot of regular costumers who buys from her?
Got to buy a jacket for the bills when I get back home, or have them framed as you've suggested.
I've also got the US minted coins that Amadeo mentioned. Something to show the grandkids someday :D
Never got to congratulate you for being nominated to the Philippine Blog Awards! :) galeng!-
Citizen of the World said...
Beautiful! I suddenly miss the time I spent chatting with her during my visits to Sta Cruz.
I did feature her in my blog, SUPERPASYAL, last November 5, 2006 but yours are far more superior shots.
Cheers!-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Amadeo!
Back in the 60s, my parents had two metal tubular canisters that housed their collection of large silver coins about the size of P5 peso coins of the mid-seventies edition.
Whenever, money was tight, my mom would dip into one of the canisters to sell one or two pieces. There were also times that I would empty one of the canisters on the bed just to admire those silver coins, which I now suspect to be US-minted.
The rest of those silver coins eventually got sold to defray the costs of my father's growing medical expenses when he became seriously ill.
It was during the hour or so I spent with Aling Conching last week when I started searching for similar silver coins, but found none.
Would you know these coins I speak of.-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Sheilamarie! During the hour or so I spent with her, there were about four regular customers of her who showed up to buy an item or two, but one Chinese gentleman purchased a handful of coins. They all seem to know the prices, for I didn't hear any haggling. The Chinese gentleman was the one who even added up his purchases wth Aling Conching's calculator.
I was also searching for the peso bills similar to yours but didn't find any. That particular bill holds fond memories for me. One, I used to get a peso a day allowance throughout my high school years.
Yes, please take good care of those bills and coins you got from your dad :)
Many thanks, Sheilamarie! I should also thank those who nominated my site :)-
Señor Enrique said...
That is great that you know her also, Citizen of the World! I have to go back there and give her copies of the pics I promised her :)
All the vendors I had approached for this project turned me down; afraid, perhaps, because they have no license or whatnot. Aling Conching, to my great joy, didn't mind beng photographed. Actually, she even showed me clippings from newpapers that had featured her in the past :)
I will check out your entry on Aling Conching.-
Amadeo said...
Eric:
Your mom's coins were most probably those minted during the US regime, which came in peso, 50, 20, 10, and 5 centavo coins, and the large one centavo "red" coin. They were all made of silver except the 5 and 1 centavo coins. And being collector's items they typically sold at much more than par value.
But when I was with the local banking industry, we would get them at par value, by simply exchanging those that came to the bank with the regular current coins.
The peso is most impressive looking much like the popular US Morgan silver dollar.
I do have some Spanish coins circulated in the Philippines prior to the Americans, and mostly made of silver. But I am guessing that the Spaniards did not mint coins purposely just for circulation in the Philippines.-
Señor Enrique said...
Aha! Thanks for the infor, Amadeo!
One more question, would you know how much those one peso coins would cost these days? You see, I'd love to get at least three for memory's sake. It would help if I have an inkling of its possible price in today's collectible market.
Thanks again, Amadeo :)-
Amadeo said...
Eric:
Since I acquired most of mine either from friends or purchased at face value many years ago, I would have no current ideas about their values in current terms.
But Ebay or Ubid would be one's good sources for these collectors' items. Ebay especially offers many surprises for hard to find items.-
Señor Enrique said...
Thank you, Amadeo. I shall keep checking Ebay then. I'd like to have at least three pieces of this coin.
-
said...
Hi, can u tell me where exactly these vendors are in Manila? thanks
Gil-
Señor Enrique said...
Right along Plaza de Sta. Cruz across the Street from Sta. Cruz Church in Manila, Gil.
-
said...
Thanks for the reply :)
Gil-
Rex said...
Wow! So many of them! I really2x want those 100 peso bills on the 6th photo. The rest of the bills I luckily inherited from my grandmother. I placed them in my blog philmoney.blogspot.com. You could see them in color there.. hehe. If only I lived in Manila, I'd go to that vendor tomorrow!
-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Rex!
Ineresting blog you got there! Kow what? Check out Amadeo's other site,
http://hobbiesandpastimes.blogspot.com/
As you will see, he's an avid collector, too.
BTW, I was told to be very careful when buying currencies from these vendors because of today's ease in creating fraudulent editions.-
said...
Hello,
I like very much this blog. Desire to buy to you ancient coins of the colonial Spanish stage, copper, silver or gold.
I wait for your news.
porrero_ram@gva.es
Thank you very much.-
said...
good day. i have with me various coins and paper bills from way way back. philippine money and foreign currency. if you happen to know a collector who would be willing to buy them in bulk, i would surely appreciate. thank you very much.
you may contact me at obet_dizon@yahoo.com
Obet Dizon-
Carolyn said...
Great post! Where can I find that vendor?
Silver MLM-
Señor Enrique said...
You may find her at Santa Cruz Plaza in front of the church near Ezcolta.
-
Pinoy-Numismatist-Network said...
INVITATION:
Love collect coins and bills?
Get COINnected now!
https://www.facebook.com/PinoyNumismatistNetwork
