Leper Colony Money

Among the many strange kinds of money items that collectors seek are the elusive coins and scrip made for people suffering from the age-old disease known as leprosy to use. Today, the healthcare field refers to this malady as Hansen’s disease. However, the dread lingers on in the minds of many who fear the possibility of contagion. 

Leprosy has affected humans for thousands of years. It is an infectious disease that can damage the skin, eyes, respiratory tract, and nervous system. The fear of contracting the disease led to isolating those afflicted in sanatoriums, or lazaretos. These were named after Saint Lazarus, the patron saint of lepers mentioned in the Gospel of St. John (John 11:1-4).   

Hansen’s disease is now known to be far less contagious than once thought. Many people who were believed to be afflicted may have only suffered from any number of skin conditions that could easily have been corrected. The number of clinics and advancement in treatments for leprosy and similar ailments over the years has thankfully lessened both the numbers of actual cases and many of the ongoing fears of the disorder.  

In earlier times, colonies would issue special forms of money to facilitate purchases that confined lepers made. These were mostly promissory notes that could be used for goods and services within the sanatoriums or by approved vendors. Colonies that used some restricted currency for that purpose were located in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Korea, Nigeria, Thailand, Japan, Venezuela, Hawaii, Colombia, and the Philippines. 

Leper Colony Coins

The first leper colony coins issued were released in Venezuela in 1887. In other countries, paper scrip was more commonly used. However, as recently as 1952, special tokens with a hole in them were made in the United States and used in the Panama Canal leper colony called Palo Seco. In South America, Columbia had three lazaretos named Agua de Dios, Caño de Loro, and Contratación, all of which issued special currency.

The most famous of all the various medical services was the Culion Leper Colony in the Philippines. It was the largest of its kind, and historians consider it to be the most advanced. It is well known from a detailed study of the subject in a landmark publication and source of information in the American Numismatic Society’s 1929 Numismatic Notes and Monographs, No. 41, written by Gilbert S. Perez. The United States established the Philippine Board of Health in 1898 and later changed the name to the Philippine Health Service. Both issued specially designed coins under those names. Interestingly, some of the pesos depict Dr. José Rizal, a martyr to the cause of Philippine independence.

The Philippine Islands have been part of our culture since the Spanish-American War, when the Treaty of Paris ceded the Philippines to the United States in 1898. An interim military government oversaw the Philippine Islands until 1906. Soon after, it became a civilian government. The Philippine Independence Act in 1934 established the Commonwealth of the Philippines. It later became a fully independent nation on July 4, 1946.

During World War II, the Japanese invasion cut off Culion from Manila, and the U.S. Army issued emergency paper scrip in denominations ranging from one cent to one peso. Some of the early Philippine leper coins are relatively common and inexpensive, but the wartime paper scrip is especially scarce and difficult to find. 

Conclusion

Collector interest in all Philippine numismatic items has grown exponentially in recent years. Coins, medals, paper money, and emergency money related to the famous leper colony of Culion are especially popular. These items have not escaped the attention of grading, authentication, and slabbing services. Some are now including these items as part of regular U.S. coinage.  

Collecting leper coins can be challenging. It is the only area in numismatics where cleaning your coins might be acceptable. I, for one, think they are interesting, exciting, and highly collectable.