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THE PASIG RIVER COLLECTIONJeremy Bostwick recently joined Stack's Bowers as a Senior Numismatist & Cataloger. He's already published some great blog posts; here's his latest on coins and medals in the Pasig River Collection. -Editor
 The Pasig River Collection features some of the most stunning examples of Filipino coins assembled, with many being the finest certified. This array of denominations and dates will undoubtedly present an important opportunity for the connoisseur to acquire pieces unlikely to be rivaled anytime soon. Some of these exceptional offerings include a trio of Pesos (1907-S, 1909-S, and 1911-S; lots 21509, 21512, and 21515, respectively), all spectacularly toned gems with incredible eye appeal. Of particular note is an absolute key to the series—a stunning mint error whereby a 5 Centavos was muled with a 1918-S 20 Centavos reverse die (lot 21545). Owing to their similarity in size, the error itself went unnoticed for years, resulting in many examples seeing their fair share of circulation. The gem from this collection will assuredly become the centerpiece of one of the finest Filipino cabinets. Additionally, numerous early proof sets featuring an array of Gem and plus Gem examples are offered; these are very seldom encountered so majestic. Throughout this series of coinage, the influence of the United States is on full display, rather overtly, on the reverses of the various denominations, as the coat-of-arms contains an eagle, with wings fully spread, atop a shield adorned with the American stars and stripes. Additionally, the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints produced the majority of Filipino coinage. In this way, reminders of colonialism remained long after the previous power, Spain, was defeated. In 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the invasion of the Philippines began. History was seemingly repeating itself, with the Japanese now ousting the Americans in power, leading to a surrender and subsequent Japanese occupation for the next three years. During this period of strife, the Pasig River Collection tells the story not through coins, but rather through medals. One such type is the "Homma" medal, so named for General Masaharu Homma, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Armed Forces who oversaw the fall of Bataan and Corregidor. Lot 21571, an exceptional near choice piece, is undoubtedly one of the finest, and is followed by three additional versions of the type (lots 21572-21574). Another interesting medal recounts the Japanese air attack on the Philippines (lot 21576) by Battalion 9936, a very rare piece in such a pleasing state of preservation. Additional medals issued for the aforementioned Bataan campaign—infamous for the grueling Bataan Death March—include lots 21582-21584, all rare and historically important pieces. During the occupation, a puppet state was created, with Jose P. Laurel installed as president. Though this served as little more than sanitization for Japanese domination, medals also recount this brief period, such as lot 21586—a very rare and attractive piece featuring the "president's" bust and a national flag, this despite there being no actual aspects of democracy or republicanism. Following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the war in the eastern theater was finally brought to a swift end and, with it, the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Less than a year later, the Philippines finally achieved the freedom and self-rule that had long been sought, 425 years after Magellan's exploration brought with it the subjugation of outsiders. Here are a few medal lots that caught my eye. I'd never seen any of these before. -Editor
  PHILIPPINES. Japanese Occupation. Silver Homma Medal, ND (1942). By: C. Zamora. PCGS MS-62 Gold Shield. Struck to commemorate the fall of Bataan and Corregidor by General Masaharu Homma, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Armed Forces. Obverse: Japanese soldier in combat gear facing away at center, gazing at the hills of Bataan and island of Corregidor in background; Reverse: Two palm trees, stars in middle, Japanese characters throughout field. The Japanese characters are a poem to pay tribute to soldiers who died in combat and credits General Masaharu Homma in writing. To read the complete lot description, see:
  PHILIPPINES. Japanese Occupation. Silver Surrender of Bataan/Quartermaster Medal Mule, 1942. By: C. Zamora. PCGS MS-61 Gold Shield. Honeycutt-319/315; Basso-159/153. Obverse: Scene of Bataan with Japanese flag, "SOUVENIR" above, date of "APR 9, 1942" below flag; Reverse: Island view of Philippines with Japanese flag on flagpole, vertical line of Japanese characters left, Japanese symbol within house, Japanese Zero's above. An EXTREMELY RARE issue combining a souvenir medal and commemorative medal. To read the complete lot description, see:
  PHILIPPINES. Japanese Occupation. Silver Air Attack on the Philippines Medal, 2602 (1942). PCGS EF-45 Gold Shield. Honeycutt-314; Basso-152. VERY RARE especially so in this state of preservation. Struck to commemorate the participation of the Air Force Battalion 9936 during World War II in 1942. Obverse: Wings attached with propeller, map of Philippines below; Reverse: Three vertical lines of Japanese characters, name inscribed in Japanese at bottom. A well made example with golden-grey patina throughout. A highly sought after and seldom offered medal destine for an advanced collection. To read the complete lot description, see:
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Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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