When I was growing up in the late ’80s and early ’90s, “collectibles” usually meant whatever antique treasures our lolas guarded with their lives—old coins sealed in tiny plastic bags, Spanish-era rosaries, stamp albums wrapped in tape, or figurines that we were warned not to touch unless we wanted a sermon. Collecting back then felt like a quiet ritual, something reserved for adults, archivists, or the tito who always had a mysterious wooden drawer.
Years later, I thought that era had faded. New types of collectibles appeared—trading cards, toys, sneakers, designer collabs, graded stuff in hard plastic slabs. Collecting evolved, widened, and became louder and younger. But walking into the Minted MNL 2025 Year-End Show at The Westin Manila, I realized something important: the old and the new never disappeared. They finally found the same home.
Minted MNL, founded by longtime collector and industry mover Sigrid Carandang, has built a reputation for transforming the local hobby scene into something vibrant, international, and community-driven. This year’s event proved it once more—with record-breaking auctions, packed halls, high-profile displays, and a rare mix of historical artifacts and modern-day collectibles.
Record-Breaking Highlights: The Firme V Feliz Por La Union & Marcos Gold Coins
Every year, collectors from across the Philippines look forward to Minted MNL’s major auction—famous for headline-making sales and pieces you won’t casually stumble upon anywhere else.
This year, two items captured the spotlight:
- The Spanish-Philippines historic piece Firme V Feliz Por La Union, which hammered in at $116,800 (₱6 million).
- The Ferdinand & Imelda Marcos ₱5,000 Gold Coins, selling for
- $24,528 (₱1.4 million) for the red edition
- $11,680 (₱686,000) for the blue edition
These cement Minted MNL’s status as the country’s most influential venue for rare and historic numismatics.
The Story Behind the ₱6-Million Firme V Feliz Por La Union
Minted in a turbulent period of Philippine monetary history, the Firme V Feliz Por La Union is more than an antique—it’s a survivor.
Issued under the decree of December 20, 1834, and later suppressed in 1837, the piece embodies the complexities of the era’s circulating currency. Holed coins had been declared invalid as legal tender in August 1834, which caused chaos in Manila. In response, the local authorities issued a decree on September 4, 1834, revalidating the coins as long as they carried double countermarks—one on each side of the hole, featuring the crowned Y. II., symbolizing Queen Isabella II.
The auctioned specimen is a textbook example of that regulation.
Its surfaces show a pewter-gray patina, with iridescent tones preserved in protected areas. The crowned countermarks remain bold, even as an older F7O mark sits prominently at the center. For collectors and historians alike, it’s a rare, museum-grade artifact—no surprise it crossed the multimillion-peso mark at the auction block.
The Marcos ₱5,000 Gold Coins: Why One Reached ₱1.4 Million
One of the most talked-about pieces at the show was the ₱5,000 Marcos gold coin, whose red edition sold for ₱1.4 million.
Why the value is so high:
- Minted in 1977 by the Franklin Mint
- Only 100 pieces exist — making it the rarest gold issue of the Marcos era
- Massive size: 68.74 grams and a 50 mm diameter
- Intricate ruby-red enamel backdrop
- High-relief busts of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
- A ceremonial piece representing state power, craftsmanship, and political legacy
The blue edition, issued in 1975, is considered the “regular” proof within the ₱5,000 series—but even this version had only 2,832 minted. Many were later melted or lost during political transitions, which further amplifies its rarity today. At the show, it sold for ₱686,000.
Both coins were immediate crowd favorites, drawing curious visitors and seasoned numismatists who rarely get to see such pieces up close.
A Celebration of Heritage and New Collectors
This year’s event carried the theme “A Heritage Reimagined,” and the halls of The Westin Manila reflected exactly that.
Minted MNL brought together:
- 60 bourse tables
- 8 curated exhibits
- 330 auction lots
- Prestige and public viewings
- Trading cards, antiques, bullion, stamps, art, and pop-culture collectibles
- Third-party graders like NGC, PMG, CGC, and PCGS Asia
- Educational talks on rare coins and Philippine commemorative gold
Beyond the displays, Minted MNL continued its mission to educate new collectors. Carandang encouraged beginners to start with curiosity—learn the stories behind each coin, banknote, token, medal, and card. Understanding the past, she said, is the key to appreciating the hobby’s future.
The show even included youth-focused programs and pop-culture elements to bridge generations, making collecting accessible whether you’re into Spanish-era mintmarks or Pokémon cards.
A Home for Old Souls and New Collectors Alike
Minted MNL’s 2025 Year-End Show proved something important: collecting is no longer a solitary, mysterious hobby hidden in wooden drawers.
It’s a living, growing community.
It’s families walking through exhibits.
It’s kids discovering trading cards while their parents inspect historic coins.
It’s modern graders, global auction houses, and Filipino collectors standing side by side.
It’s heritage reimagined—exactly as this year’s theme promised.
Minted MNL didn’t just break auction records. It reminded everyone why collecting still matters, decades after those days of lola’s aparador treasures.
