Commems Collection Classic: US / Philippines Commonwealth - Origin Story

Rather than a specific piece of legislation, the 1935 US - Philippine Commonwealth commemorative coins are the result of the authority created by multiple more general Acts.

The roots of United States ("US") coinage for the Philippine Islands can be traced to 1902 and "An Act Temporarily to Provide for the Administration of the Affairs of Civil Government in the Philippine Islands, and for Other Purposes" or "The Philippine Bill of July 1, 1902."

In addition to outlining Philippine Islands Government authorities and operations, the Act authorized the Government to coin:

- a Silver 50 Centavos coin (0.900 fine)
- a Silver 20 Centavos coin (0.900 fine)
- a Silver 10 Centavos coin (0.900 fine)
- a Copper-Nickel 5 Centavos coin (0.750/0.250 composition)
- a Copper 1 Centavo coin (0.950 copper/0.050 tin & zinc composition)
- a Copper 1/2 Centavo coin (0.950 copper/0.050 tin & zinc composition)

In 1903, the "Act to Establish a Standard of Value and Provide for a Coinage System in the Philippine Islands", more commonly referred to as the "Philippine Coinage Act of 1903", extended the 1902 Act and established a Gold Peso - weighing 12.9 grains of 0.900 fine gold - as the Islands' unit of value (though such a coin was never struck).

The 1903 Act also established the Silver Philippine Peso with a weight of 416 grains of 0.900 fine silver. An exchange rate of two silver Pesos to one Gold Peso was set. (The Peso had an exchange rate of 50 US cents per Philippine Peso.)

Note: For comparison, a standard US Silver Dollar of the time weighed 412.5 grains; the silver US Trade dollar weighed 420 grains.

The Philippine Independence Act (aka, Tydings-McDuffie Act) was approved on March 24,1934 - the date US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed it into law. The Philippines Legislature approved the Act on May 1, 1934.

The 1934 Act authorized the Philippine Legislature to organize a Constitutional Convention for the purpose of drafting a Constitution for the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands. The Convention was held and it drafted a Constitution that it approved on February 8, 1935. President Roosevelt approved it on March 25, 1935 and the Philippine voters approved it on May 14, 1935.

The Constitution's approval led to the establishment of the Commonwealth; it was established on November 15, 1935 and Manuel L. Quezon was inaugurated as its first President.

Using these prior legislative Acts and the authority granted by them, the Manila Mint commemorated the launch of the Commonwealth with three commemorative coins: two Peso coins and one 50 Centavos piece; the coins were designed by Philippine artist and University of the Philippines professor Ambrosio Morales.

1936 US-Philippines Commonwealth Inauguration Fifty Centavos


1936 US-Philippines Commonwealth Inauguration Roosevelt-Quezon One Peso


1936 US-Philippines Commonwealth Inauguration Murphy-Quezon One Peso



For more about these US-PI coins, see:

- 1936 US - Philippines Commonwealth


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including others about the US-Philippines Commemorative Coin series, see: Commems Collection