For the love of MONEY

I’ve always been fascinated with money. No, not just about its real value, nor how powerful having much of it can make you feel. Well, of course, those would be the actual reasons for having money, but still.

My fascination started back when I was about 8 or 9, when I saw my mother’s collection of notes and coins from other countries. I can remember my awe at looking at the different designs and various colors of the notes, and assorted shapes of the coins. Then, I didn’t think about how much value each note or coin holds, I was just captivated by the designs. 

Later, learning about the value of money and circulation and inflation, and basically the economics behind it, made me more fascinated with it than ever. So, I decided to have a collection of my own. I’m just fortunate that family and friends have been supportive of my collection. They’ve been giving me various notes and coins from around the world. Also, thanks to eBay, I get to “buy” some notes that I like.

Though my collection is still small as of today, here are some of my favorite ones:  

Philippines: 2008 University of the Philippines Centennial commemorative 100 Pesos  

This was given to me by a close friend. Needless to say, this is my most favorite among my collection, as I hail from the University of the Philippines. Also, 100 pesos is my favorite bill, as for me, the amount is not too small, not too big. 

Philippines: 1942 Negros Occidental Guerilla 5 Pesos

I got this one from eBay, I forgot for how much. According to Wikipedia, “Emergency circulating notes were currency printed by the Philippine Commonwealth Government in exile during World War II. These guerilla pesos were printed by local government units and banks using crude inks and materials.” I am fortunate to have gotten hold of one of these, as this forms a large part of the Philippine history.

Philippines: Japanese government-issued 10 Pesos 

This one was again given by a friend, the same one who gave me the 100 Pesos above. He's very supportive, I know. This currency is a fiat peso and also called the “Mickey Mouse money.” Again, I am lucky to have one of these in my collection. 

Hong Kong: 2007 Ten Hong Kong Dollars

What I like most about this note is the vibrant colors, and the transparent circle on the left side, below the flower design. Also, this is my favorite as I got this from my very first travel abroad. 

Malaysia: One Ringgit

I love the design. The size is smaller than the other bills. I love that it is simple, yet the blue hue gives it an elegant vibe.

China: Ten Fen (0.10 Renminbi Yuan)

Again, from eBay. Based on my Google searches, this note was being issued by the People’s Republic of China from the late 1970s to the 1980s. This note is very small in size, with only 1 inch in width (I think, I’m too lazy to actually measure it). Why did I get this from eBay? It’s because I have this inexplicable interest with anything Chinese. 

Philippines: 1972 One Peso (Pilipino series)

I love this coin as this one is bigger than the other Philippine coin series. When we were young, when we see this in our grandparents’ or parents’ cabinets (as this is no longer in circulation then), we called it “malaking piso” (literally, big peso). 

Philippines: 1985 Two Pesos (Flora and Fauna series)

This is one of my favorites as I used to have this (yes, only this, just 2 pesos) as my pocket money for school when I was in grade school. We used to call it “octagon coin” despite the fact that it has 10 sides! Most Philippine coin series are round in shape, with some exceptions, most especially this one, so this is really a stand out.     

There. These are just a few among my collection. Hopefully, next time, I could share more. What’s your favorite note or coin?