100 Peso Bill Philippines History and Evolution

The 100 peso bill has been a staple in the Philippines for many decades. It was first introduced in 1949, making it one of the oldest denominations in circulation.

The design of the 100 peso bill has undergone several changes over the years. In 1967, the Central Bank of the Philippines introduced a new series of banknotes, including the 100 peso bill, which featured a portrait of Apolinario Mabini.

The 100 peso bill has also been a key player in the country's economic development. In the 1970s, the Central Bank of the Philippines implemented a new currency reform, which introduced the 100 peso bill as a widely accepted form of payment.

In recent years, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has introduced new security features to the 100 peso bill, making it more difficult to counterfeit.

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The 100 peso bill in the Philippines has undergone several design changes over the years. In 2010, the portrait of Manuel A. Roxas was redesigned to include a picture of the old Central Bank building and the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines.

These additions were made to the lower left corner and bottom center of the bill respectively. The reverse side now features the Mayon Volcano and the whale shark. The color of the note was modified in 2016 to have a stronger mauve or violet color.

This change was made to address complaints that the color of the 100 peso note was almost indistinguishable from the 1000 peso note.

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The Philippines has a rich history of banknote design, with various series and features introduced over the years. The country's first standard circulation banknotes were issued in 1949 by the Central Bank of the Philippines.

The first 100-peso banknote was made of paper and featured a rectangular shape, measuring 160 × 66 mm. It was demonetized in 1967 and replaced by a new series of banknotes. The new series, which included the 100-peso banknote, featured a piso (PHP) denomination and was made of paper with a cotton and abacá fiber composition.

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In 2024, the Central Bank of the Philippines introduced a new series of polymer banknotes, including the 100-peso First Philippine Polymer series. This series features a violet (mauve) color and includes designs such as the Palawan peacock-pheasant and the Ceratocentron fesselii orchid.

Here are the design features of the 100-peso banknotes:

The 100-peso banknotes have undergone several redesigns over the years, with the most recent series featuring enhanced security features such as color-changing indigenous patterns and tactile marks for the visually impaired. The New Generation series, introduced in 2010, featured a redesigned portrait of Manuel A. Roxas and added designs such as the Mayon Volcano and the whale shark.

The Pilipino series, introduced in 1969, saw significant design changes. The note's color shifted to a predominantly violet hue.

In 1967, a notable change occurred with the replacement of Melchora Aquino's portrait by Manuel Roxas. The reverse of the note now featured the Central Bank of the Philippines main office.

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The design of the obverse was later revised, with the "100" on the lower right corner being moved higher. This change also brought the Central Bank logo below it.

The font for "Republika ng Pilipinas" and all of the "100" text were changed, and the text "Sandaang Piso" was made into one line. Geometric lines were added on the sides and the watermark area of the note.

In 1978, the Central Bank's transfer to its new complex in Manila was reflected on the reverse of the note.

The Ang Bagong Lipunan series of banknotes was introduced in 1973 and lasted until 1996. This series had a significant change in 1976 when a new text, "Ang Bagong Lipunan", was added and overprinted on the watermark area.

The BSP logo was redesigned in January 2021 and was first adopted on NGC banknotes starting with those issued in 2022.

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The obverse of the 100-peso bill features a bust of Manuel A. Roxas at centre left.

The Philippine and USA flags are prominently displayed at the right side of the note.

The bank seal is located at centre right.

The lettering on the note reads "100 SANDAANG PISO" and "BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS" in a specific font.

Design errors have been a notable issue with the 100 peso bill in the Philippines. The first major controversy occurred in 2005 when banknotes printed by Oberthur Technologies of France had the President's name misspelled.

The mistake spelled the President's name as "Gloria Macapagal-Arrovo" instead of the correct "Gloria Macapagal Arroyo". This error was a first in Philippine history.

A more recent incident happened in December 2017, when a 100 peso banknote with no face of Manuel A. Roxas and no electrotype 100 was issued.

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The 100 peso bill in the Philippines has a special place in the country's history, and one way it's been marked is through commemorative issues. These special bills were created to honor significant events and milestones.

One notable commemorative issue is the Philippine Centennial edition, which was released in 1997 to mark the country's independence. It features a Centennial logo overprint. A second version was released in 1998, with a year mark.

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The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has also released commemorative 100-Peso banknotes with an overprint of the iconic UP Oblation to commemorate the centennial of the University of the Philippines (UP) in 2008. Bangko Sentral printed 10 million pieces of the 100-Peso banknotes with the oblation overprint.

Commemorative issues have been released to celebrate various milestones, including 60 years of central banking, 100 years of Lasallian presence in the Philippines, and 100 years of UP College of Law.

Here are some of the commemorative issues:

The 100 peso bill in the Philippines has several security features to prevent counterfeiting.

The Philippine Banknote Corporation uses a combination of physical and digital security features to ensure the authenticity of the bill.

One of the physical security features is the watermark, which is a transparent image of the bill's portrait that can be seen when held up to light.

The 100 peso bill also features a hologram strip that changes from a 3D image of the Philippine eagle to a 2D image when tilted.

In addition to these features, the bill has a unique serial number that can be checked against the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) database to verify its authenticity.

The BSP also uses a digital security feature called the "color-shifting ink" that changes from green to gold when tilted, making it difficult to reproduce.