PHILIPPINE NUMISMATIC AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY
A LEGACY THAT IS PNAS
The formation of the PNAS - the oldest numismatic organization in the land - was largely the brain child of three individuals who shared the same passion for collecting coins and antiquities, namely, Dr. Jose P. Bantug, Gilbert S. Perez and Inocencio Delgado. Aside from the three, among the other prominent charter members of the Society were National Treasurer Salvador Lagdameo, Teodoro Kalaw, Jose Panganiban, Luis Montilla, Felipe R. Hidalgo, Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal and Judge Simeon Garcia-Roxas.
The main objective of the Society was to promote the science of numismatics and antiquarianism through the study and collection of coins, paper money, medals, stamps, books, documents and other antiquities. The organization also showed great concern for the preservation of our cultural heritage and the promotion of the Philippine numismatics, history and culture throughout the world for many future generations.
At the initial organizational meeting held on March 16, 1929, Dr Bantug was elected first President of the Society; Gilbert S. Perez, Vice-President, and Inocencio Delgado, Secretary-Treasurer. At the start, it had only 18 members, most of them Filipinos but they also included a Chinese national and three Americans.
The organization adopted a seal designed by Gilbert S. Perez when it decided to issue a medal to commemorate the visit to Manila of the Duke and Duchess of Brabant in 1932. This was the first PNAS medal.
The first public numismatic exhibit sponsored by the Society was held at the National Museum in 1930, which drew a huge crowd from visitors, collectors and tourists alike. PNAS met regularly until December 1941 when the Second World War broke out. Dr. Bantug headed the Society for the first ten years, after which Judge Garcia-Roxas took over the helm during the war years. The Japanese occupation of the country did not deter its members from holding sporadic meetings, but it was after liberation when PNAS resumed its activities with even greater vigor.
The PNAS is an affiliate of the American Numismatic Associaton (ANA) and a correspondent of numerous numismatic societies all over the world. It conducts auction meetings on a regular basis, aside from once-a-year international auction coinciding with its annual convention that features bourse trading, exhibits of numismatic collections and a fellowship dinner. It also publishes journals, newsletters and the PNAS Monographs that deals not only with numismatic information and studies, but also various aspects of our country's rich cultural and historical heritage.
A host of prominent personalities in the world of collecting have been at the helm of the Society over the years. Among them were Dr. Jose P. Bantug (1929-40); Judge Simeon Garcia Roxas (1943-44); Dr. Jesus P. Celis (1948, 1959-60); Dr. Pablo de Jesus (1949-55, 1966); Dr. Leoncio Lopez Rizal (1956-57, 1961-65); Don Jesus Cacho (1957, 1967); Alfonso Ongpin (1958); Manuel Manahan (1967-74); Antonio B. Bantug (1975-76); Dr. Angelita G. Legarda (1977-78); Feliciano Belmonte (1979-84); Felipe Liao (1985-87, 1993); Guy N. Davis (1988-92); Albino M. Quiban, Jr. (1994-96); Robert E. Enriquez, Jr. (1997); John Dalsfoist (1998); Antonio Teh (1999); Mariano Cacho, Jr. (2000); Ramon N. Villegas (2001); Antonio Teh (2002-03); Paul Leonard de Jesus (2004-06); William Villareal (2007-12); and Edward Nocom (2013-present).