A coin from the country with the most depictions of volcanos on their currency.

The Philippines

(Map of the Philippines, in Asia, from Wikipedia).

The Philippines’ history spans thousands of years, beginning with the migration of Austronesian peoples. These early settlers developed sophisticated societies, trading with various Asian civilizations and developing unique cultural traditions.

The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 marked the beginning of Spanish colonization, which would last for over three centuries. This period saw the widespread adoption of Christianity and the establishment of colonial institutions that would significantly influence Filipino society.

Following the Spanish-American War, the Philippines came under American rule, leading to significant changes in education, governance, and society. The country achieved independence in 1946 and has since worked to build a modern nation while preserving its rich cultural heritage.

Obverse

The obverse of the coin contains the coat of arms of the Philippines

The sun symbolizes unity, freedom, democracy and sovereignty; the eight rays symbolize the first eight provinces (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas) that revolted against Spain; the three stars represent Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. These are the three main island groups of the Philippines. The blue partition represents peace, truth and justice; and the red partition represents patriotism and bravery.

On the lower-left, is an American Bald Eagle, grasping the olive branch of peace in one talon and the arrows of war in the other. On the right side, in the red field, sits the Spanish lion-rampant.

Efforts had been made by congress to remove the colonial animals in 1998, but the referendum was never passed and there they remain until this day, to serve as a reminder of our former masters.

Reverse

The reverse of the coin features “Full-length figure of a seated man in left, facing right, with hammer and anvil, Mayon Volcano in right”. The figure is a Panday, likely from the word “Pande” which is the Indonesian equivalent to “blacksmith”.

The pre-colonial blacksmith or specifically the “Panday sa Puthaw” (workers of Iron) not only forged iron ores into equipment, but were also responsible for the artful, wavy design of the Kris and other intricate weaponry and tool designs. They were not limited to mundane tools, for our Panday managed to adopt and develop a cannon called Lantaka; a portable bronze swivel gun which was quite advanced for the time.

Mayon Volcano

(A wet market in Legazpi city with Mayon volcano in the background, from Fotograzio on Wikipedia).

Beautifully symmetrical Mayon volcano, which rises to 2462 m above the Albay Gulf, is the Philippines’ most active volcano. The structurally simple volcano has steep upper slopes averaging 35-40 degrees that are capped by a small summit crater. The historical eruptions of this basaltic-andesitic volcano date back to 1616 and range from strombolian to basaltic plinian, with cyclical activity beginning with basaltic eruptions, followed by longer term andesitic lava flows. Eruptions occur predominately from the central conduit and have also produced lava flows that travel far down the flanks. Pyroclastic flows and mudflows have commonly swept down many of the approximately 40 ravines that radiate from the summit and have often devastated populated lowland areas. Mayon’s most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1200 people and devastated several towns.

My first thought when reading about this coin was “Wait, Mayon? Like the central Europeans? No, that is “Mayan”, though it does also remind me of this 1901 Guatemala 1/4 Real, which also features a Volcano and that country WAS inhabited by THOSE Mayans.

So, looking into the name, GunungBaggging.com notes: “Named after Daragang Magayon (“Beautiful Lady”), a legendary Bicol maiden whose tragic love is said to have formed the volcano. “Mayon” means “beautiful” in Bikolano language. In local mythology, the volcano is associated with the deities Gugurang (who dwells inside Mayon) and Asuang (his rival from Mount Malinao). Eruptions are understood as the expression of divine anger or imbalance within the spirit realm.”

Oregon State adds: “There once lived a very beautiful native princess who had an uncle named Magayon. He was so possessive of his niece that no man dared to challenge his wrath by courting the favors of the young maiden. One day, however, a brave and virile warrior was so smitten by the princess that he threw all cares to the wind, clambered up through the window of the royal chamber and enticed the girl to elope with him. With Magayon at their heels, the couple prayed to the gods for assistance. Suddenly from out of nowhere, a landslide buried the raging uncle alive. Local folks now claim that it is Magayon’s anger bursting forth in the form of eruptions.”

Numista lists 49 common circulating coins depicting volcanos. The majority – 23 – are from the Philippines, featuring Mayon volcano. What is your favourite volcano on currency? Let us know in the comments!