Welcome to Phil-Philately. Here I will share and record my research as I expand my personal collection of Philippines coins, stamps, banknotes and other items. If you find the information useful please let me know. If you wish to contribute your knowledge on Philippines numismatics or philately, feel free to contribute via comments on the respective blog posts.
About Me
I’ve collected coins and stamps for as long as I can remember. It all started as child growing up in Australia. My siblings and I would often race each other to the mailbox with a view that collecting the mail somehow gave you weight or legitimacy in claiming the stamps when mum was done with the envelope. Sometimes it worked.
Throughout my adult life have been fortunate enough to travel the world and to have lived in and immersed myself in the cultures of a number of different countries. Travelling and living abroad has allowed me to expand my collection, expand my knowledge and to grow as an individual. Memories and experiences gained are real treasures.
I’ve always collected coins and stamps that sparked my interest, as investments or just those that reminded me of a trip that I had taken or a sight that I had seen on my travels. In recent years I have decided to focus my collection specifically on the Philippines. After falling in love with a Filipino and with her country I decided to use my collection as a tool to help our children understand a part of their culture and its history. This site is the beginning of that process – it is very much a progressive work.
Why the Philippines?
The Philippines is a rich source of historical events – for example Spanish, US and Japanese occupations. As you would expect, the countries natural beauty, flora, fauna and people are great topics for postage stamps and money. Many other historical events shaped postage and currency in the region as well – revolutionary government control, Guerrilla money, dedicated currency for use in leper colonies, etc. These historical events over a relatively short period of time is what makes the Philippines an amazing and interesting place for collecting. I was a disorganized collector with worldwide stamps, coins and banknotes until I settled on the idea of concentrating my collection on the Philippines. And I’m sure glad that I did as I have uncovered so many surprises along the way.
About my Collection
These pages and blog posts will cover historical information along with information on my ever-expanding collection (which can be found here). I will make updates when significant changes have occurred to the collection (or when I’ve added something really cool).
With a large, expanding collection I am always behind in cataloging and uploading photographs.
You will also notice that my collection is not purely “stamps and money”. I also collect FDC’s, Revenue Stamps, Cinderella’s and various other items that I think help to tell a story. I am a traditional collector in that I strive for “complete sets” rather than collecting topically and I strive for the highest quality products.
I hope you enjoy this site. Happy collecting.
Adam Humphris