Leprosy Memorabilia Incl. Leper Colony Coins, Pete the Pig Bank
Item Details
A collection of leprosy memorabilia. This wide-ranging collection features collectible pieces from a time when leprosy was still considered incurable, leaving thousands of people in small communities of lepers, often with their own currency and little compassion from the outside world. This selection includes two coins from the Culion Leper Colony in the Philippine Islands, with a five centavos coin from 1927, and a half-centavo coin from 1913. Also included is a third coin from the Philippines from 1945, although not minted for circulation in the Culion colony. A yellow plastic piggy bank from American Leprosy Missions, Inc. is also a part of the collection, spawned from an initiative started in 1900. The American Leprosy Missions strived to eradicate leprosy and help those afflicted with it and began their ‘Pete the Pig’ campaign when a pig named Pete was sold at auction, his proceeds donated to the fight against leprosy. The small banks, created in the image of the original Pete, were found in churches and classrooms around the United States until the late 1970s. This bank still retains its original tag, listing is as bank number 262177. Lastly, a souvenir letter opener from the Island of Lepers in San Antonio, Texas, is also included, with a shiny red handle and slate gray plastic blade.
Condition
- coins show signs of circulation.
Dimensions
- measures Pete the Pig bank.
Item #
17CIN188-198