The history of Philippine money spans six distinct eras, beginning with the pre-colonial period and culminating in the modern New Generation Currency series.

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The pre-colonial period remains a largely enigmatic chapter in Philippine history due to the limited availability of written records. Most of our knowledge is derived from historical accounts by foreign traders and explorers, as well as archaeological evidence unearthed in recent years. These sources paint a picture of a thriving trade-based economy where items such as gold, beads, and shells were used as mediums of exchange.

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The Boxer Codex, a fascinating 16th-century manuscript, adds another dimension to this narrative. While its primary focus is on the cultural and societal landscapes of early Philippine and Southeast Asian societies, it provides valuable insights into the economic life of the time, indirectly hinting at wealth, trade, and the use of precious materials.

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This page will not attempt to reiterate what is already well-documented elsewhere about the history of Philippine money. Instead, it seeks to honor and complement the rich resources available on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) website. The BSP provides an excellent information to this topic "History of Philippine Money", and for those eager to delve deeper, the book Yaman: History and Heritage in Philippine Money, published in 2020, offers an in-depth exploration.

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This book takes readers on a visually stunning journey through Philippine history, tracing its evolution through currency. For those interested, a digital copy of the book can be accessed via the BSP Media and Research Publications page.

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Sources & Further Reading:

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1. Yaman: History and Heritage in Philippine Money

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