Obverse
Portrait of Pope Francis with one hand waving "Republika ng Pilipinas" "" "His Holiness Pope Francis" "500 Piso"
Reverse
Logo of the Papal Visit and Logo of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) “Papal Visit/Philippines” “ 15-19, ” Mini letters of “Mercy and Compassion”
Minted by
Minted by:
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Security Plant Complex
Quezon City, Philippines
BSP Mint
Mint and Refinery Operations Department
Note
Papal Visit
Commemorative Legal Tender Coin
The year marks the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Philippines. In unity with the entire nation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) proudly commemorates the Papal Visit with the issuance of this special commemorative legal tender coin exclusively crafted by the BSP Mint.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis is the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church, and the 3rd pope to visit the country.
He was born in Argentina. He is most popular for his simplicity and deep love for the poor. Thus, the theme "Mercy and Compassion" aptly captures these endearing qualities of the Pope who is the Vicar of Christ.
Catholics and non-Catholics alike will find this coin a valuable keepsake as it encapsulates the details and images of the Pope and his visit, in this rare collection truly worth preserving through generations.
500 Piso Commemorative Coin
Papal Visit/Philippines
-,
Mercy and Compasion
Pope Francis
Remarks
On , Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced the minting of special edition coin commemorating the state and pastoral visit of Pope Francis on -, to the Philippines. A day before Pope Francis visit, on , it was released in limited quantity. This coin, with mintage limit, were minted under a licensing agreement with the Vatican. Originally set as order basis only and will not be available over the counter. The original deadline for reservation is until .
Due to overwhelming public demand, on Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that it will be minting more of this coin. The increase was approved by the Vatican under an amended Licensing Agreement. To avoid oversubscription beyond the amended mintage limit, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) closed the reservation period until , earlier than the original deadline of .
Because months passed since Pope Francis visit, many cancelled their reservation and many did not claim their coins anymore. This excess coins were eventually issued over the counter at BSP Cash Department for Metro Manila and at designated BSP Regional/branch office for outside Metro Manila.