Sir Ely's Mini-Museum

Name: Sir Ely's Mini-Museum
Address: Santa Cruz, 4009, PH
Telephone: +639362700927

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A TOUR AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH
COINS AND BILLS

05/10/2026

A HERO AND TEACHER ON PHILIPPINE CURRENCY

October 5, 2026 | World Teachers’ Day

Today, as we celebrate the teachers who shape minds and inspire generations, Sir Ely’s Mini-Museum takes a look at a familiar piece of Philippine currency with a meaningful story.

🪙 Apolinario Mabini on the ₱10

Many know Apolinario Mabini as a revolutionary hero, constitutional adviser, and the first Prime Minister of the First Philippine Republic. But Mabini was also a teacher and educator. He taught Latin in schools in Manila, Bauan, and Lipa and earned a Teacher’s Certificate (Profesor de Segunda Enseñanza).

His legacy as both a patriot and an educator makes his appearance on the Philippine ₱10 especially meaningful for today’s celebration.

And here at Sir Ely’s Mini-Museum, there are several versions of the ₱10—then and now: different coins and banknotes from different periods, each carrying a small piece of our country’s history. 🇵🇭

From the ₱10 of the past to the ₱10 we know today, the portrait of Mabini reminds us that teaching is also a form of service to the nation.

📚 Happy World Teachers’ Day!

May we continue to honor not only the teachers who stand in our classrooms today, but also those Filipino educators from history whose lives helped shape our nation.

One coin. One hero. One teacher. A lasting legacy. 🇵🇭🪙

30/06/2026

🪙 THE EUROS, THE VITRUVIAN MAN, AND THE GOLDEN RATIO 🪙

While Filipinos use their familiar Piso coins for daily transactions, Europeans carry a literal Renaissance masterpiece in their pockets. On the Italian 1 Euro coin, you will find Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man. This iconic design was chosen by the Italian public through a national vote because it perfectly represents the heart of their culture, where art and science beautifully intertwine. Drawn around 1490, it depicts a human figure perfectly inscribed inside a circle and a square, symbolizing the ultimate harmony between the spiritual universe and the earthly world.

Beyond its artistic fame, this image holds a profound secret for math lovers. Da Vinci was deeply obsessed with the Golden Ratio (ϕ ≈ 1.618), often called nature's blueprint for perfect proportion. The Vitruvian Man is a masterclass in this "Divine Proportion." In fact, if you measure the distance from the figure's head to his navel, and compare it to the distance from his navel to his feet, the dimensions align beautifully with this golden number.

Since these coins circulate thousands of miles away across Europe, we rarely get to see Euro currency. However, you don't need a plane ticket to Europe to appreciate the beauty of Euro currency. Right here in our collection, we have built a wonderful display featuring the 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, and the prominent 2 Euro coins. Each denomination features its own unique national symbols, history, and intricate European artistry.

Visit Sir Ely's Mini-Museum! Come and have a firsthand glimpse of our Euro coin display, and see for yourself how history, art, and mathematics can all fit right in the palm of your hand! 👋🪙

20/06/2026

🔄 PALINDROME DAY AND A PALINDROME COIN! 🪙

June 20, 2026 (6-20-2026) is a special date because it is a palindrome day—the numbers read the same forward and backward: 6202026.

Coincidentally, Sir Ely's Mini-Museum houses a remarkable Spanish coin dated 1881, another palindrome year. This beautiful 5 Pesetas coin from Spain serves as a fascinating link between numismatics and mathematics.

🔹 A palindrome is a word, number, or sequence that reads the same forward and backward. Examples are kayak, deified, rotator, level, refer, and radar.
🔹 The Spanish peseta was the official currency of Spain from 1869 until it was replaced by the euro in 2002.
🔹 Palindrome years are rare. Examples include 1771, 1881, 1991, 2002, and the future year 2112.

Visit Sir Ely's Mini-Museum and see this palindrome coin from Spain for yourself!

12/06/2026

🇵🇭💚 A GREEN WITNESS TO PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE 💚🇵🇭

As we commemorate the 128th Anniversary of Philippine Independence, let us take a closer look at one of the most meaningful pieces of Philippine currency ever issued—the old green ₱5 banknote.

Did you know that the reverse side of the old ₱5 bill features a depiction of the Declaration of Philippine Independence held on June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite? While many Filipinos once used this banknote in everyday transactions, few realized that they were carrying a miniature history lesson in their pockets.

The front of the note bears the image of General Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader who proclaimed the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule. On the back, the historic scene of the declaration serves as a reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and aspirations of the Filipino people for freedom and nationhood.

This makes the old ₱5 banknote more than just money—it is a collectible artifact that preserves one of the most important moments in our nation's history.

This Independence Day, let us remember that history is not only found in books and monuments. Sometimes, it is preserved in the very objects that pass through our hands.

🏛️ Visit Sir Ely's Mini Museum and have a glance at the old, green Philippine 5-peso banknote—a small piece of currency that carries a big story of freedom.

Happy Philippine Independence Day! 🇵🇭

14/03/2026

🔵 FROM 10 CENTS TO 3.14: A PI DAY COIN STORY FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS 🔵

Today, March 14 (3/14), the world celebrates Pi Day, a special day honoring the mathematical constant π (pi)—the number that represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Interestingly, this same date is also recognized globally as the International Day of Mathematics, a celebration that promotes the beauty and importance of mathematics in everyday life.

But did you know that there is actually a coin in the world with the denomination 3.14?

The Solomon Islands issued a remarkable commemorative coin with a face value of 3.14 dollars, directly inspired by the famous digits of π (3.14). This unique coin is part of a numismatic tribute to mathematics. Its design often features the π symbol at the center, surrounded by the never-ending digits of pi, reminding collectors and math enthusiasts alike of one of the most fascinating numbers ever discovered. The value 3.14 itself is symbolic, representing the first three digits of π, which continues infinitely without repeating.

Coins like this show how mathematics and culture intersect even in everyday objects like currency. Around the world, collectors appreciate such pieces not only for their monetary value but also for the stories, knowledge, and symbols they carry.

Here in Sir Ely’s Mini-Museum, Dr. Elymar A. Pascual proudly keeps a coin from the Solomon Islands—a 10-cent coin featuring Queen Elizabeth II. While it is not the 3.14-dollar Pi coin, it still represents the same nation that produced one of the most mathematically interesting coins ever minted.

✨ Curious to see it?

Visit Sir Ely’s Mini-Museum and discover this Solomon Islands coin up close—along with many other fascinating pieces from around the world. Sometimes, a small coin can open the door to a big story in mathematics, history, and culture.

23/11/2025

THE GERMAN BANKNOTE WITH A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA!

Most banknotes around the world feature portraits, landmarks, and symbols of national pride—but one German banknote stands out for including mathematics itself!

The 10 Deutsche Mark (DM10) banknote, issued before Germany adopted the Euro in 2002, carries something you rarely see on money: a probability density function of the normal distribution, complete with its iconic bell-shaped graph.

This formula is closely associated with the legendary German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, whose work revolutionized statistics and led to the term “Gaussian distribution.”

Although Sir Ely does not have the DM10 banknote, he does have several German coins proudly displayed in Sir Ely’s Mini-Museum—a small but meaningful glimpse into Germany’s monetary history.

Visit Sir Ely’s Mini-Museum and take a look at the coins from Germany!

Address

Santa Cruz
4009

Telephone

+639362700927

Website

https://g.co/kgs/GjsvTg

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