A Medallion Worth of 800 Billion Pesos

There’s a rumor spreading in Lucena City at Quezon that someone has a medallion worth of 800 billion pesos. This medallion was already more than 120 years old, and the owner named Albert Menes.According from Mr. Menes this medallion was given by his great-grandfather named Celestino. His mother once told him that his great-grandfather gave the medallion to his grandmother named Holyana and she also gave it to his mother when she died. There’s a tradition in their family that the medallion shall be given to the youngest child, that’s why the medallion was given to Mr. Albert.

The medallion was originally given by a foreigner to repay his great-grandfather’s service. At that time his great-grandfather was a faith-healer that’s why they all grow-up knowing that the medallion was used for healing. Albert’s ancestors believed that the medallion was a talisman, but for him the medallion was an important thing inherited from his ancestors that should be valued.

Katherine Menes, daughter of Mr. Albert, found out that the medallion was a commemorative medal for the 400 years of discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. And she also found out that it’s the same as the medal being auctioned in Chicago that worth of $14,964,046 or 800 billion pesos, that’s why they all want to know the truth behind the medallion.

They went to an Antique Gallery, and according from Mr. Jaime L. Ponce De Leon, director of Leon Gallery, the medallion was a coin created by ‘B. Maura’ to commemorate the 400 years of discovery of America, the same information as what they found out through their researched, but its real value was just $300-$500 or 16,000-26,000 pesos here in the Philippines. And the medallion being auctioned in Chicago was sold at $325 not $14,964,046.

After knowing the truth, Mr. Menes and his family are still hoping that someday the medallion would bring them luck and great opportunity in the future.