A rare example of Spanish colonial emergency coinage linking Mexico and Manila will be among the highlights of the Minted MNL Summer Show 2026, scheduled on Saturda, March 14, at The Westin Manila Hotel from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
One of the key lots featured in the auction is a Philippines 2 Reales, KM-88 (Type VI countermark), graded F15 by PCGS, a historically significant issue authorized under a decree dated December 14, 1835 and later suppressed effective March 31, 1837.
The coin reflects a short-lived monetary response by Spanish colonial authorities to the influx of Mexican republican silver circulating in Manila during the 19th century.
To legitimize these foreign coins for local use, officials applied an official crowned countermark, validating them as legal tender within the archipelago.
The specimen offered at the show is struck on an 1832 Zacatecas Mint Mexico 2 Reales host coin and bears the Type VI countermark — a crowned “Y.II” within a circular punch. The mark appears slightly off-center and unevenly impressed, characteristics consistent with hand-applied countermarking performed in Manila.
Collectors will note a visible planchet impression caused by the force of the countermark application, a diagnostic feature commonly encountered among these emergency issues. Despite evident circulation wear, the crowned “Y.II” remains bold and clearly identifiable.
Numismatists consider Philippine countermarked reales significantly scarcer than their Mexican host coins due to the narrow authorization period and subsequent suppression of the measure.
The limited production window curtailed surviving examples, making certified specimens increasingly difficult to acquire in today’s market.
The Minted MNL Summer Show brings together collectors, dealers, and historians for a full-day event showcasing rare coins and currency tied to the Philippines’ colonial and economic history.
