Two Pesos Victory Series No. 66
Treasury Certificate · Pick 95a · serial F13317943
Historical and Issue Context
Two pesos, Rizal portrait: the specimen is a Treasury Certificate for two pesos, with José Rizal at left. The clause promises payment in silver pesos or in United States legal tender of equivalent value (the Commonwealth peso was tied to the dollar at 2:1).2 The printed face value is TWO PESOS.
Pick 95a, not Pick 118: the Standard Catalog and the Bank Note Museum number this type —Victory Series No. 66 without the red Central Bank overprint— as Pick 95a, with the lower title “Auditor General”.3,4 Pick 95b uses the Roxas and Guevara signatures and the title “Treasurer”. Pick 118 is the same design with a red “CENTRAL BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES” overprint applied in 1949 on remaining Pick 95 stock; the Bank Note Museum marks the Osmeña–Hernandez combination of that overprint as not issued.5 This specimen does not carry that red overprint.
The 1944 liberation: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas records that American liberation forces brought Victory Series No. 66 in 1944, and that after the Central Bank was created in 1949 the series denominations were overprinted “Central Bank of the Philippines” and remained legal tender until 30 July 1964.1 In its monetary history the BSP describes those Treasury certificates overprinted with the word Victory as the paper used when sovereignty was recovered.2
“No. 66”: Philippine numismatic sites attribute to a BEP report the choice of 66 as Manuel L. Quezon’s age at death (1 August 1944). Quezon was born on 19 August 1878 and was 65; the figure 66 does not match that age.8 The BEP report is not cited here at first hand.
Key Details Visible on the Banknote
- Portrait: José Rizal at left, in an oval with palms; “VICTORY SERIES NO. 66” in the lower-left quadrant.
- Heading: “TREASURY CERTIFICATE” and the Philippine legislature authorization approved by the President of the United States on 13 June 1922.
- Clause: “THIS CERTIFIES THAT THERE HAS BEEN DEPOSITED IN THE TREASURY OF THE PHILIPPINES / TWO PESOS / PAYABLE TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND IN SILVER PESOS OR IN LEGAL TENDER CURRENCY OF THE UNITED STATES OF EQUIVALENT VALUE”.
- Seal: blue Commonwealth of the Philippines / United States of America seal at right.
- Serials: F13317943 in blue ink, repeated; “VICTORY” and “SERIES NO. 66” in the upper-right quadrant.
- Signatures: S. Osmeña, titled President; J. Hernandez, titled Auditor General.
- Reverse: blue with “TWO PESOS” and a large 2; black “VICTORY” overprint across the width. No red Central Bank overprint.
- Color: black face on a light-blue underprint, with blue seal and serials; blue reverse.
Notes
1. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas — English Series / demonetized notes (opens in a new tab): liberation forces brought Victory Series No. 66 in 1944; after the Central Bank (1949) those denominations were overprinted “Central Bank of the Philippines” and remained legal tender until 30 July 1964.
2. BSP — History of Philippine Money (opens in a new tab): the Commonwealth peso was tied to the dollar at 2:1; after sovereignty was recovered, Treasury certificates overprinted “Victory” were used.
3. Bank Note Museum — Philippines P-95 (opens in a new tab): 2 pesos, Treasury of the Philippines, series 66 (1944), VICTORY overprint; 95a = Auditor General title; 95b = Treasurer.
4. RealBanknotes / Standard Catalog — Pick 95a (opens in a new tab): ND (1944); black on blue underprint; Rizal at left; VICTORY SERIES NO. 66 twice instead of a date; blue seal; signatures Osmeña and J. Hernandez; Auditor General title; blue reverse with black VICTORY; USBEP printer, no imprint.
5. Bank Note Museum P-118 (opens in a new tab): ND (1949); red CENTRAL BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES overprint on Pick 95; 118[a] Osmeña–Hernandez not issued; 118b Roxas–Guevara. Not this specimen.
6. Numista — 2 Pesos (Victory) (opens in a new tab): 161.9 × 67.4 mm; Pick 95a, Osmeña and Hernandez, AUDITOR GENERAL title; print run 16,231,272. Secondary catalog figures.
7. Guerrilla Money — Victory Series (opens in a new tab): BEP delivery table; 2 pesos Rizal, Osmeña–Hernandez, 16,231,272. Not a first-hand BEP document.
8. numismatics.ph — Victory Series No. 66 (opens in a new tab): attributes “66” to the BEP; Leyte landing on 20 October 1944; series face total ₱1,019,544,000. Secondary source.