Just Having Fun with USPI Business Strike 20 Centavos

About This Set: This is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest US Philippine set to complete in gem uncirculated condition. For example, astonishingly, there are 7 dates with NO gems (zero), and another 7 dates with 2 or fewer gems. ... Some of the toughest dates include the 1903-S, 05-S, 07, 07-S, 08-S, 09-S, and the 1910-S is a particular killer. Someone in Manila seems to have had a small hoard of beautiful 1910-S 20 centavos -- and defaced them all. I've see maybe a dozen otherwise beauts with several deep scratch marks on the obverse. What a pity. ... The 11-S, 1914-S, 1915-S (another especially hard date), 1916-S, and 1919-S round out the hard dates. ... After that, they get easier, and that includes the 1928 mule which is often over-priced because it's actually easier than realized. All the Commonwealth issues are accessible in unc and gem condition.