Owner Comments:
Lyman Allen #4.08b (KM #173) - 5 Centavo obverse muled with 20 Centavo reverse
Regular Mintage: 2,780,000 (variety mintage unknown)
This coin is a mule of the 1918-S 20 Centavo reverse die with the 5 Centavo obverse on a copper-nickel 5 Centavo planchet. Unlike the 1928-M 20 Centavo mule which was intentionally struck, this mule was not and consequently very few examples exist. The 5 centavo dies were only 0.5mm smaller than the 20 centavo dies in 1918, and the reverse designs were also very similar, so it's easy to see how this mule could have been inadvertently created. The most distinctive difference between the two is the size of the date. The date on the normal 5 Centavo reverse is much larger. The shield on the normal 5 Centavos coin is also broader than that of the mule.
This is one of the key coins to the entire US/Philippine series. I purchased this coin very early on in my collecting of US/Philippine coins, and it was already in an old style ANACS holder with a grade of F12. It's not a high grade example, but it has not been cleaned or otherwise tampered with as so many US/Philippine coins have. I debated almost 10 years before deciding to send it to NGC for crossover. In the end, I'm glad I did, but the new policy of removing the coin from the ANACS holder before evaluating it is a pretty scary proposition.
It is interesting to note the the obverse appears to have been struck through a small piece of wire or fiber which can be seen running across the male figures left ankle and right knee. The obverse also seems to be more worn than the reverse. I was hoping for an upgrade to VF20 based on the reverse, but the obverse is probably correctly graded at F15.
Allen Varieties
4.08 - Normal die pair
4.08a - Re-punched date
4.08aa - S/S Re-punched mint mark
4.08b - 5 Centavo reverse muled with 20 Centavo obverse (this coin)
Date acquired: 2/8/2005 (Already graded by ANACS)
Date crossed: 9/12/2014 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 2/14/2018