Be mindful of how much you're paying at all times!

[Canon EOS 1300D, f/6.3, 1/60, 190mm Macro, ISO1600]

By the end of 2017, the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) appealed to the public to familiarize themselves with the new 5 peso coin. I somehow missed the news and lost four pesos sometime in January. The reason is, the rare new 5-peso coin.

I took a snap of these two similar coins back-to-back not only to familiarize myself with the coins and share this reminder but also to practice using my macro zoom lens. This is what's cool about photography. You can take pictures of everyday ordinary objects and have fun!

It's not the usual angle coins are photographed because just like a pizza, it has most of its features on the flat surface, not on the edges (unlike hamburgers). Nonetheless, it looks interesting (at least for me) when shot from an angle.

Despite the similarities, people are already starting to be familiar with the new design.

Notably, the 5-peso coin is only slightly larger and thicker than the one peso coin. One difference people overlook is that the new 5-peso has a smooth edge and the 1-peso has a serrated edge. It's easy to 'feel' the difference if you're aware of it.

Image Source

Deputy Director of the Currency Issue and Integrity office of the BSP said in an interview that they do everything to make sure that the new coins they release are differrent from the old ones and that the public may think that the coins look similar but the design and composition are different.

As far as I'm concerned, it's still very much possible to mistake a 5-peso coin to a 1-peso. The main reason is: There are still more old 5-peso coins in circulation (based on my observation) than the new ones. People are still used to the old coins. The picture on the left is my wife's coin bank. She keeps all 5 and 10-peso coins she gets her hands on and there seems to be only one new 5-peso coin. I had to shake the bottle many times to reveal the shiny new coin. I remember there was also confusion with the 10-peso coin. Many people mistook it for a 1-peso despite being larger, probably because of its nickeled edge. It's hard to see the copper center while it's being held or sandwiched among 1-peso coins.

So there you have it! I'm sure we are now less likely to lose 4 pesos by counting a new 5-peso coin as a 1-peso.

Mentally rehearse your composition even if you're not holding the camera. After being with your DSLR for a while, you'll start to remember some settings or common combinations. For example: Imagine it's a sunny day, you're outside and you have to take pictures of shiny coins on the pavement under the sun. What would your settings be like? - Certainly, the ISO won't be as high as 1600. - Not even 400. 100-200 is in the ballpark since coins shine under direct sunlight.