Philippines banknotes

Hi Members,

I wonder if there are any expert collectors here or someone from the Philippines. 

This is my question. 

The 500 piso for the 2020 print is printed with the letter F, after the year date ie 2020F.

Can any one please explain to me, what is this letter F stands for?

Thanking you in advance.

ahkai

Hi Members,

 

I wonder if there are any expert collectors here or someone from the Philippines. 

 

This is my question. 

 

The 500 piso for the 2020 print is printed with the letter F, after the year date ie 2020F.

 

Can any one please explain to me, what is this letter F stands for?

 

Thanking you in advance.

I started collecting banknotes from the Philippines after I visited in 2019. 

Before the Series for the Blind was introduced, they used the print year + no letter, then yearA; YearB; yearC; (no D/E); year F; year G, year H & year J series (no I). Some of the higher denominations don't go through so many year+letter series (like the 200, 500 & 1000 Pesos).

Take a look at the P-210 (the 500 before the marks for the blind were added) & you will see no letter plus series F & G used. Check out the 20 (P-206) Pesos for more versions.. Also, notes with a single letter prefix (such as A or B) are the first versions & tougher to find.

Thanks Serial_number_8

I need to know why the letter F is there. Could it be the legislative/government's approval for printing that denomination, which was not initially scheduled?

Thanks

kai 

ahkai

Thanks Serial_number_8

 

I need to know why the letter F is there. Could it be the legislative/government's approval for printing that denomination, which was not initially scheduled?

 

Thanks

kai 

The same reason that there might be an A, B, C or any of the other letters that have been used. No one knows for certain. I have noticed small differences in the printing plates with the different letters, but don’t know if the two are related. You could contact the Central Bank of the Philippines and ask them.  If you get a response, please enlighten us all.

Thanks Blue-M

Thanks. I doubt the central bank will reply.

Thanks

kai

It is unlikely the Central Bank of the Philippines will know.  It is the printers who create the serial number & series system.  The BoE (nor the Bank of Canada) micromanage their printers & their business. Yes, they provide the signatures, & approve the designs but plate # & series numbers are completely beyond their worries.

If you check out some of the online resources like here (or the Bank Note Museum) you will see that many countries have had banknotes with different series in the past. That's all the letter shows- is that the note came from a different series.  So, conceivably, you can have matching solid serial numbers from different series (& some collectors will go for sets like that). 

It is really important to remember that DEMAND is what determines the number of notes issued. It is not even the printers nor the central bank (just like "language use" dictates the meaning of words- not the dictionary)

Here's a 20 Peso replacement & a #1 note from the FE prefix printed in 2010 in France & imported for use in the Philippines:

These “New Generation” were along with the original 20 Pesos which were still being produced in the Philippines. In 2010, these were the majority of notes used.

Now check out the BNM & you will see that the old notes were printed alongside the NG notes & no new NG notes were issued until 2012. Its not until 2014 that the years get different (B & C) runs to keep up with demand.

In 2016, there are 5 versions (2016 no letter, 2016F, G, H & J) and Robert Duterte was elected & his signature appears on a revised design with his signature (2016 & no letter) (check out the link from the BNM as it shows all the versions of P-206):

Serial number in PH starts from A000001 upto Z1000000 for single letter prefix in the serial number.

Once in reached Z1000000 the next one will be double letter prefix which is AA000001 upto ZZ1000000.

Once in reached ZZ1000000 and if the central bank needs to print additional banknotes... They will now put a letter at the end of the date like 2023A 2023B and so on.

However, it’s up to the central bank folks to decide which letter will be used in the date as I don’t see any logic, sequence, or pattern on how they use the suffix letters in the date/year.

udimov

Once in reached ZZ1000000 and if the central bank needs to print additional banknotes... They will now put a letter at the end of the date like 2023A 2023B and so on.

 

However, it’s up to the central bank folks to decide which letter will be used in the date as I don’t see any logic, sequence, or pattern on how they use the suffix letters in the date/year.

As I explained on my post in 2022, it is NOT "up to the Central bank folks to decide which letter will be used." This refers to the letter used after the date. The minute details of serial numbering and date imprinting is up to the printers. The Central bank dictates how many notes they need & put in the order for their printers to produce.  The printers use single-letter prefixes initially & then double-letter prefixes with no letter on the date, then a letter on the date. A, B, C are NOT always the first letter used.

In order to get a grasp of how the letters are employed (after the date) it helps to study the WBM links I provided in my 2022 post. 

P-206 TWENTY PESOS had many “letter-years” produced & it seems like the letters jumped (if letters were previously employed (like A, B, C etc). Subsequent letter-years  would not reuse A,B,C but jump to a later letter (so long as the signature combos stay the same).  On P-206, you see 2010-2013 with no letters, than 2014 & 2014A. Next you have 2015 & 2015A. In 2016 it gets interesting: 2016 + 2016F, 2016G, 2016H & 2016J (no D, E).  Below is a screenshot of the 20 Pesos & letter year system from the World Banknote Museum site. 

If you check the 500 Pesos (or other denominations) you will see a similar pattern. 

With SEAL TYPE 7 NG series, the printers have broken the above system entirely. After the NO tactile marks for the blind 50 Pesos more surprises like 3 letter prefixes, 7 digit serial numbers and replacements with 2 letter digits appeared.  I believe they dropped the letter-year convention entirely.  Only the 50 Pesos (with the “FM” prefix) has been correctly documented by WBM but I don't see the other quirky notes documented as today.