Philippines sets new record for longest line of coins

Dec 1, 2011, 13:07 GMT

Manila - The Philippines on Thursday sets a new world record when enthusiasts finished creating a 73.02-kilometre line of 25-centavo coins, the world's longest line of single-denominated coins.

The Philippines beat the current Guinness World Record of 64.88 kilometers, held since 2008 by a group of people in the US state of Kansas.

Geodetic engineer Erick Medrano confirmed that the long line of coins at the Quirino Grandstand grounds in Rizal Park measured 73.02 kilometers.

Medrano was one of the engineers who inspected the line of coins to see if it complied with the standards of the Guinness World Record.

He and the other independent auditors will send certification, along with other documents, to the Guinness World Records for official confirmation of the new world record.

The event, called 'The Power of Small Change,' was organized by the Central Bank of the Philippines and the Kabayanihan Foundation to encourage the recirculation of coins and to raise funds for building classrooms for public schools in the remote provinces.

Filipinos donated about 3.6 million 25-centavo coins amounting to 921,500 pesos (21,286 dollars)

The event started on Wednesday morning, with Central Bank employees, students and civic groups helping out. The laying of coins and taping them extended through Wednesday evening and resumed Thursday.