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10 Centavos
| Issuer | Philippine National Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Gold and yellow overall design with ornate guilloche border and corner devices bearing the denomination '10¢'. The bank title 'PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK' and 'EMERGENCY CIRCULATING NOTE' appear in bold letterpress across the upper half, with the circular blue seal of the Philippine National Bank at centre. Serial numbers appear vertically on both sides, and two manuscript signatures — Cashier and Acting President — are printed below the large central 'TEN CENTAVOS' denomination text. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed entirely in yellow on a pale yellow ground, the reverse centres on a vignette of the American bald eagle in flight, wings spread, facing right, set against a globe underprint. Flanking ribbon banners carry the bank name, while lower scroll panels bear the denomination and note type. The date 'NOV. 20, 1917' and place of issue 'MANILA, P.I.' appear within the central vignette area. Denomination numerals '10¢' occupy each corner within circular guilloche devices. |
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| Comments |
The Philippine National Bank was chartered in 1916 partly to displace American private banking interests and extend credit to agricultural producers. These small-denomination emergency circulating notes followed almost immediately, filling a gap left by the shortage of subsidiary coin during World War I — a problem that afflicted nearly every colonial economy in the Pacific during that period.
The PNB series of fractional notes, of which this is among the earliest issues, was authorized under specific wartime emergency provisions rather than ordinary banking legislation. That distinction affected their legal tender status in ways that caused practical friction at point of sale.