HISTORICALLY STATIC COIN IMAGES

I have been analyzing the artistry of the coins from other countries and I am amazed at the variety and historical content in them. Espana or Spain has a 5 centavo coin with a bas relief of a Gothic cathedral on one side. Nederland has a 25 cent piece with a bas relief of a tulip on one side Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has one with a coat of arms on one face and then the number 25 25 cents half-framed by a bending rice stalk. Hong Kong has a 20 cents with the image of Elizabeth II but I bet this has been demonetized already. The coin is nice to look at because it has scalloped edges. Britain has coins with the picture of Elizabeth II. Canada, a commonwealth country has a coin with Regina Elizabeth II in her younger years. I don't know why they are fond of putting in her face on the coins. They all look of one mind, unity? But at the same time, looks autocratic and and slavish.

United Arab Emirates has a stately deer on one side; the number ten is written in their Arabic alphabet.

We had a ten centavo coin of Francisco Baltazar way back in 1964 and 1980. I think we were still nationalistic at the time.

Along the same vein, Espana has a 10 centavo coin with the image of Miguel de Cervantes, the novelist of Don Quixote de la Mancha on one side. On the other side, the number 10 is placed on the right hand side with some carvings on the left hand. If you will look at our coins, every design on either side is always symmetrical, as if the artist is afraid of designing the image to the left or the right.

Melchora Aquino appeared in our 5-centavo coin with scalloped edges before and then she disappeared altogether. In place now is a 5-centavo coin with a hole in the middle. Why a hole? Ang babae may butas? What a sex maniacal idea.

Famous heroes in our coins are Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, and as mentioned before, Baltazar. That's it. Nothing more. How boring our coins. I think we should have a contest for designing our coins. We have a lot of artistic young people nowadays who could also be imbued with natioalistic feelings as they could have watched the inspiring film Luna about Antonio Luna, the general who was educated in Europe and led the revolution against Spain and America at the turn of the 19^th century. Not only should we have heroes, but we must have an equal representation of heroines.

By the way, we could have the pictures of SAF 44 on coins. I am sure that would be a hit. Many enthusiasts would get all the 44 for their collection. We could also have the National Artists like musicians Tita King Kasilag, Lucio San Pedro, theatre actress Atang de la Rama with husband Amado V. Hernandez, Severino Reyes, the novelist who wrote Banaag at Sikat about the inquitous labor conditions in the 30's  as well as departed inventors with their inventions that are now globally or locally knownOf course, we could have Gregoria de Jesus of the Spanish era, Salud Algabre and Miguel Malvar, our martyrs during the American colonial period.

That Visayan child,  Rosa, who saved her siblings from fire should also be immortalized in our coinage.

By the way, Folks, did you know that the name of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is incscribed in our coins? Is that not redundant, as it is the government agency that issues the coins? I really cannot fathom for what purpose it puts its name unless the current officials want to immortalize their names as administrators should there be meticulous reasearchers who would want to know such info. 

Nevertheless, we are not wanting in heroism. In fact, we should always be reminded of it – that idea of fighting for our ideals instead of wallowing in materialistic pursuits wherein our police force harass critics to save inept officials from being dislodged.