Coins have been used in Japan since at least the 7th century (and perhaps much earlier), imported from China and Korea after relations established. The pre-modern minting of coins (cast coins) began in 708, and through 958. Coins were probably not the primary method of exchange between average persons (rice/rice plants, cloth, tools etc served). No coins were produced domestically for 600 years, with coinage needs being met by imported coins. Eventually economic development reached a point where a more robust monetary system was needed and minting resumed. Suffice to say the coinage displayed varying degrees of fineness, weights, size and shapes and comprise a far too an extensive topic to be covered here.
Modern Japanese coins are considered those minted since 1870, after the Meiji restoration. Among the many sweeping changes in government, the Mint in Osaka was completed and new coinage regulations were established. The coins became uniform in shape (round) and fineness, and a decimal system established using the (gold) yen as the standard unit.
Over time the coinage was modified and various denominations removed or altered to reflect current needs. Gold, silver and copper saw the addition of nickel and other base metals. Design alterations were also made and in 1953 denominations smaller than the yen were abolished.
Between 1948-1950 (there is some overlap) the newer coins became classified as 'current coins'. The 'current' designation corresponds with the adoption of the new constitution in 1947 after the conclusion of WWII. That said, in the JNDA catalog (see below) there are two coins that do not fit this categorization precisely and are not categorized as 'current' despite having the new issuing authority name.
<<< The debased brass 1 yen minted 1948-1950 in that it reads left to right though the inscription is "Country of Japan". The 50 sen of 1947-1948 has the new "Country of Japan" inscription, but is still read right to left.>>>
In other words, 'current coins' does not equate to circulating coins. Silver has been eliminated from any but commemorative coins and there are several obsolete designs amongst the current coins that no longer circulate. Basically, 'current' refers to the government issuing the coins, not the coins themselves.
Commemoratives were first seen in 1964, honoring the Tokyo Olympics. Since then there has been a steady increase in issues with base metal denominations of 100 and 500 yen, silver (500-10,000 yen) and gold coins (10,000-100,000 yen) issued to celebrate or commemorate various events or landmark anniversaries. For example, 2015 and 2016 saw the release of a 4 coin colorized silver and gold series commemorating the 'Great Eastern Earthquake Reconstruction project' as well as a series commemorating the anniversary of the Shinkansen (bullet trains).
The Prefecture Series, with a 1000 yen colorized silver coin and a bi-metallic (base metal) 500 yen, are in the process of being issued 4 per year starting in 2009. They commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 'Enforcement of Local Autonomy Law'.
Basically, Japan has been--perhaps in a far more restrained fashion than Canada (and Australia, and no comment on all those tiny island nations...)--expanding into the colorized coin and commemorative production industry. Sigh.
Below there is a short overview of the modern coinage using a type set album to demonstrate through 1970. There are also brief sections on coin dating, common motifs found on coinage, and sections for reading material and links.
More details (but not an exhaustive history) can be found on the appropriate sub-pages. There is a 'landing page' for each of the subsections chosen to be highlighted here, then individual pages for denominations as appropriate.
Modern Japanese coins are considered those minted since 1870, after the Meiji restoration. Among the many sweeping changes in government, the Mint in Osaka was completed and new coinage regulations were established. The coins became uniform in shape (round) and fineness, and a decimal system established using the (gold) yen as the standard unit.
Over time the coinage was modified and various denominations removed or altered to reflect current needs. Gold, silver and copper saw the addition of nickel and other base metals. Design alterations were also made and in 1953 denominations smaller than the yen were abolished.
Between 1948-1950 (there is some overlap) the newer coins became classified as 'current coins'. The 'current' designation corresponds with the adoption of the new constitution in 1947 after the conclusion of WWII. That said, in the JNDA catalog (see below) there are two coins that do not fit this categorization precisely and are not categorized as 'current' despite having the new issuing authority name.
<<< The debased brass 1 yen minted 1948-1950 in that it reads left to right though the inscription is "Country of Japan". The 50 sen of 1947-1948 has the new "Country of Japan" inscription, but is still read right to left.>>>
In other words, 'current coins' does not equate to circulating coins. Silver has been eliminated from any but commemorative coins and there are several obsolete designs amongst the current coins that no longer circulate. Basically, 'current' refers to the government issuing the coins, not the coins themselves.
Commemoratives were first seen in 1964, honoring the Tokyo Olympics. Since then there has been a steady increase in issues with base metal denominations of 100 and 500 yen, silver (500-10,000 yen) and gold coins (10,000-100,000 yen) issued to celebrate or commemorate various events or landmark anniversaries. For example, 2015 and 2016 saw the release of a 4 coin colorized silver and gold series commemorating the 'Great Eastern Earthquake Reconstruction project' as well as a series commemorating the anniversary of the Shinkansen (bullet trains).
The Prefecture Series, with a 1000 yen colorized silver coin and a bi-metallic (base metal) 500 yen, are in the process of being issued 4 per year starting in 2009. They commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 'Enforcement of Local Autonomy Law'.
Basically, Japan has been--perhaps in a far more restrained fashion than Canada (and Australia, and no comment on all those tiny island nations...)--expanding into the colorized coin and commemorative production industry. Sigh.
Below there is a short overview of the modern coinage using a type set album to demonstrate through 1970. There are also brief sections on coin dating, common motifs found on coinage, and sections for reading material and links.
More details (but not an exhaustive history) can be found on the appropriate sub-pages. There is a 'landing page' for each of the subsections chosen to be highlighted here, then individual pages for denominations as appropriate.
Overview
Using a Dansco coin album as an illustration of the modern Japanese coins through 1970
Using a Dansco coin album as an illustration of the modern Japanese coins through 1970
The Dansco Japan Type album was initially published in 1966. It was subsequently modified to include the 1970 Expo coin (present in this example), but there have been no updates since. In fact the album itself has become quite collectable and are not frequently found for sale on the US market. I see one for sale maybe every year or two on eBay, and one sold in April 2014 at Heritage.
As nice it is to have an album with high quality coins, it is sometimes difficult to 'crack' a valuable and/or otherwise high quality coin from a 'slab' to put one's BEST coins into an older album such as this.
To that end the following link is to a custom NGC registry set reflecting the Dansco 7460 template. As a custom set, there are both NGC and PCGS coins present. So far none of the coins in the album have shown evidence of increased toning, nor have any been abraded by the plastic slides covering the holes. However it is not a protective environment which is a concern not only for the more valuable specimens, but also ones made of the more reactive metals (such as tin).
Over the years I've been fortunate enough to find some fairly nice coins that were suitable for this album, but were either 'raw' or 'crackable' (ie not a problem to remove from the slab to place in the album). Interestingly it has been some of the wartime/post war issues in off metals that have been among the most challenging to find in excellent condition. The biggest liberty I have taken with this set has to do with the Trade Dollar and the 'gin' marked yen (the 'gin' is discussed on the obsolete yen page). The Trade Dollar was a coin I considered likely to be unobtainable given the value of even impaired coins. The idea of a permanent empty space in the album disagreed with my (slightly) OC heart, so when I chanced upon an outrageously chopped 1 yen coin, I did think to fill the hole with that coin. After all, a chopped coin is one that has been tested by private merchants and/or banks and once deemed real, functioned as a trade coin. It was a cool coin and with a little imagination, could sort of 'fit' the Trade Dollar slot (metaphorically speaking as physically it fit just fine). Eventually a suitable Trade Dollar was found. It was not in a third party grader slab, and was in possession of enough hairlines that it was unlikely to 'straight grade'. Thus putting it in a slab did not make enough of a monetary difference to make doing so 'sensible'. The coin remains happily raw. |
But what to do with the lovely, wildly chopped yen? It is so full of character that I could not bring myself to remove the coin from the album completely. My current only 'gin' marked yen is okay, but is less interesting to say the least. So the chopped yen sits in the 'gin' slot for no other reason than I like it there. Incorrect, but beautifully so. And, it's not enough to disturb the obsessive compulsive in me. An empty space yes, a little imagination in coin placement, no.
Along the obsessive compulsive lines (not so uncommon in collectors) it is worthwhile to note there are a couple minor typos in the album. The printing for the 50 and 100 yen on page 5 should really read 1967- (the dash is missing but those series continue even now). Also the 1940-1943 5 sen 'dove' is actually a kite or hawk (the 'Golden Kite' per the Cummings reference). Not a dove though!
Along the obsessive compulsive lines (not so uncommon in collectors) it is worthwhile to note there are a couple minor typos in the album. The printing for the 50 and 100 yen on page 5 should really read 1967- (the dash is missing but those series continue even now). Also the 1940-1943 5 sen 'dove' is actually a kite or hawk (the 'Golden Kite' per the Cummings reference). Not a dove though!
A few words on coin dating
At first glance trying to figure out the date on a Japanese coin can be a bit intimidating. Once a few things are understood--with a little bit of recognition for the unfamiliar characters--it makes sense. Eventually.
One needs to learn the specific kanji (Chinese character writing) for 4 eras (so far), the basic numbers for 1-10, and just a small handful of other symbols. Then, just put them together. And remember to read everything in the correct order, because that has changed over the years.
Also, this is very specific for the machined Meiji/post-Meiji era coinage. Pre-Meiji and currency has quite a bit more to it. A couple of the texts listed below do an excellent job covering the pre-Meiji information.
One needs to learn the specific kanji (Chinese character writing) for 4 eras (so far), the basic numbers for 1-10, and just a small handful of other symbols. Then, just put them together. And remember to read everything in the correct order, because that has changed over the years.
Also, this is very specific for the machined Meiji/post-Meiji era coinage. Pre-Meiji and currency has quite a bit more to it. A couple of the texts listed below do an excellent job covering the pre-Meiji information.
Era Names
明治 Meiji 大正 Taisho 昭和 Showa 平成 Heisei |
Numbers
一 1 六 6 二 2 七 7 三 3 八 8 四 4 九 9 五 5 十 10 百 100 千 1,000 万 10,000 半 half |
Denominations
圓 or 円 yen 銭 sen 厘 rin Additional characters 年 ‘nen’ or year 元 ‘gan’ or first |
The first thing to understand about dating Japanese coins is that the dates are based on the era name, followed by the year of the era.
The use of the era system goes back over 1000 years. In the past the eras did not necessarily correlate with the Emperor's reign as they do today, thus current events or issues could play a part in the naming of a new era.
When Mutsuhito assumed the throne in 1867 it was the Keio era. This was changed to the Meiji era in 1868 and since then the ‘one reign/one era’ rule has been codified. In other words, a new era name will occur only upon the ascension of the next Emperor. Thus, since 1867 there have been four eras:
明治 Meiji (Mutsuhito) 1867-1912
大正 Taisho (Yoshihito) 1912-1926
昭和 Showa (Hirohito) 1926-1989
平成 Heisei (Akihito) 1989-present
Each dated coin has a 2 kanji era name, followed by a numerical value designating the year, followed by the ‘nen’ 年 or year symbol.
Or, another way: Era Name + Era year + Nen
The regnal (era) years are correlated with the Gregorian calendar, but they are based on the named era. For example 1990 is the second year of the Heisei era, so Heisei 2 is 1990,
Heisei 3 is 1991,
Heisei 4 is 1992 etc.
With regards to the changing of the era name and coin dating, the first year of the era name change occurs immediately upon the ascension of the new Emperor. However, the first year of the era ends December 31st and the remainder years follow the Gregorian calendar. Thus (unless there is a death on December 31st) there is overlap between in one calendar year between the eras of the old and new Emperors.
On coinage this is seen by the utilization of the ‘gan nen’. The ‘gan’ refers to ‘first’ and the ‘nen’ to year. In 1912 it was both Meiji 45 (through July 30th, the death of the Emperor) and Taisho 1. The Taisho coins were thus designated 大正元年 , with the first two kanji representing the Taisho name and the second two referring to the first year (not using the 一 for '1'), followed by the year or nen kanji. 1913 was thus Taisho 2 (大正二年), starting January 1st.
(By the way, it is only after death that the Emperor is referred to by the name of the era. Also the use of his given name is also in poor taste and the Emperor really should be referred to by his title “His Imperial Majesty the Emperor”, or as ‘the current Emperor’).
The use of the era system goes back over 1000 years. In the past the eras did not necessarily correlate with the Emperor's reign as they do today, thus current events or issues could play a part in the naming of a new era.
When Mutsuhito assumed the throne in 1867 it was the Keio era. This was changed to the Meiji era in 1868 and since then the ‘one reign/one era’ rule has been codified. In other words, a new era name will occur only upon the ascension of the next Emperor. Thus, since 1867 there have been four eras:
明治 Meiji (Mutsuhito) 1867-1912
大正 Taisho (Yoshihito) 1912-1926
昭和 Showa (Hirohito) 1926-1989
平成 Heisei (Akihito) 1989-present
Each dated coin has a 2 kanji era name, followed by a numerical value designating the year, followed by the ‘nen’ 年 or year symbol.
Or, another way: Era Name + Era year + Nen
The regnal (era) years are correlated with the Gregorian calendar, but they are based on the named era. For example 1990 is the second year of the Heisei era, so Heisei 2 is 1990,
Heisei 3 is 1991,
Heisei 4 is 1992 etc.
With regards to the changing of the era name and coin dating, the first year of the era name change occurs immediately upon the ascension of the new Emperor. However, the first year of the era ends December 31st and the remainder years follow the Gregorian calendar. Thus (unless there is a death on December 31st) there is overlap between in one calendar year between the eras of the old and new Emperors.
On coinage this is seen by the utilization of the ‘gan nen’. The ‘gan’ refers to ‘first’ and the ‘nen’ to year. In 1912 it was both Meiji 45 (through July 30th, the death of the Emperor) and Taisho 1. The Taisho coins were thus designated 大正元年 , with the first two kanji representing the Taisho name and the second two referring to the first year (not using the 一 for '1'), followed by the year or nen kanji. 1913 was thus Taisho 2 (大正二年), starting January 1st.
(By the way, it is only after death that the Emperor is referred to by the name of the era. Also the use of his given name is also in poor taste and the Emperor really should be referred to by his title “His Imperial Majesty the Emperor”, or as ‘the current Emperor’).
The next challenge is that the reading order for the dates has reversed over time.
Original Chinese kanji were not read in the Western tradition of left to right. The initial coinage followed that the coin dates and legends were read right to left. That is not to say the characters are mirrored, they are merely read in reverse order. Prior to Showa 23, right to left was correct. Beginning in Showa 23 (1948) the Western style of reading from left to right was adopted (with one exception).
Thus the reading order went from:
Nen---Era year----Era name kanji to Era name kanji---Era year---Nen
(c) <---- (b) <----------- (a) to (a) -----------> (b) -----> (c)
They both mean exactly the same thing, and the character order is the same "a b c"---it's just where you start and which way you move your eyes that change. Note, the era name has two characters and their order remains internally consistent as they are looked at as a unit.
Basically, look for the Nen/年 and you will know which way to read the coin’s date as the Nen/年 is always the last part of the date. Once you see it, you know where point (c) is (using the above graphic).
So in looking at an example:
年三治明 年 三 治明
(c) (b) (a)
(a)治明 is Meiji (and note the two characters, 治 and 明, remain in the same order, but are NOT mirrored)
(b) 三 is the number 3
(c) 年 is the year symbol nen
Another example using two Showa era dates:
年九和昭 年 九 和昭
(c) (b) (a)
(a) 和昭 is Showa read right to left
(b) 九 is the number 9
(c) 年 is the year symbol nen
OR
昭和四十五年 昭和 四十五 年
(a) (b) (c)
(a) 昭和 is Showa now read left to right. Reversed, not mirrored.
(b) 四十五 is the number 45 (trust me on this part for right now)
(c) 年 is the year symbol nen
Identifying the nen shows which way to do the reading, so the first is Showa 9, and the second is Showa 45. No matter what, (a) is followed by (b) which is followed by (c). The kanji themselves do not reverse or 'mirror' in appearance regardless of which way you are reading them.
Original Chinese kanji were not read in the Western tradition of left to right. The initial coinage followed that the coin dates and legends were read right to left. That is not to say the characters are mirrored, they are merely read in reverse order. Prior to Showa 23, right to left was correct. Beginning in Showa 23 (1948) the Western style of reading from left to right was adopted (with one exception).
Thus the reading order went from:
Nen---Era year----Era name kanji to Era name kanji---Era year---Nen
(c) <---- (b) <----------- (a) to (a) -----------> (b) -----> (c)
They both mean exactly the same thing, and the character order is the same "a b c"---it's just where you start and which way you move your eyes that change. Note, the era name has two characters and their order remains internally consistent as they are looked at as a unit.
Basically, look for the Nen/年 and you will know which way to read the coin’s date as the Nen/年 is always the last part of the date. Once you see it, you know where point (c) is (using the above graphic).
So in looking at an example:
年三治明 年 三 治明
(c) (b) (a)
(a)治明 is Meiji (and note the two characters, 治 and 明, remain in the same order, but are NOT mirrored)
(b) 三 is the number 3
(c) 年 is the year symbol nen
Another example using two Showa era dates:
年九和昭 年 九 和昭
(c) (b) (a)
(a) 和昭 is Showa read right to left
(b) 九 is the number 9
(c) 年 is the year symbol nen
OR
昭和四十五年 昭和 四十五 年
(a) (b) (c)
(a) 昭和 is Showa now read left to right. Reversed, not mirrored.
(b) 四十五 is the number 45 (trust me on this part for right now)
(c) 年 is the year symbol nen
Identifying the nen shows which way to do the reading, so the first is Showa 9, and the second is Showa 45. No matter what, (a) is followed by (b) which is followed by (c). The kanji themselves do not reverse or 'mirror' in appearance regardless of which way you are reading them.
Lastly, a word on the larger numbers as alluded to above. The writing of the numbers greater than 10 reminds me of the math that was being pushed on my sons when they were younger. (For the sake of this section all reading will be in the modern left to right mode, though you can see particularly why the nen location is critical. It is the difference between 45 and 54, or 12 and 21 and can be quite significant in terms of valuations).
五 is 5
十 is 10
十 五 is 15 the 10 character and the 5 character are put together as 10 + 5 (the plus sign, not the 10 symbol)
四十五 is 45 the 4 preceding the 10 means '4 tens' or 40, plus the 5, so (4x10)+5 = 45
A little more:
五百 is 500 the 5 character precedes the 100, so '5 hundreds' or (5x100) = 500
And another:
二千六百八十一 is 2681 2 thousands, 6 hundreds, 8 tens and 1, (2x1000) + (6x100) + (8x10) + 1 or 2681
二千 六百 八十 一
Who said common core math wasn't useful?
五 is 5
十 is 10
十 五 is 15 the 10 character and the 5 character are put together as 10 + 5 (the plus sign, not the 10 symbol)
四十五 is 45 the 4 preceding the 10 means '4 tens' or 40, plus the 5, so (4x10)+5 = 45
A little more:
五百 is 500 the 5 character precedes the 100, so '5 hundreds' or (5x100) = 500
And another:
二千六百八十一 is 2681 2 thousands, 6 hundreds, 8 tens and 1, (2x1000) + (6x100) + (8x10) + 1 or 2681
二千 六百 八十 一
Who said common core math wasn't useful?
Issuing Authority
The first modern coins bore the inscription 本日大 "Dai Nippon" or "Great Japan" (reading the kanji from right to left).
After the conclusion of WWII the inscription changed to 府政本日 "Nippon seifu" or "Government of Japan" (reading right to left) which was used for a limited period of time after the war and prior to the formation of the new constitution and government.
The third and current inscription is 日本国 "Nippon koku" or "Country of Japan" (also reading left to right which is how it is on the coins). The use of this inscription corresponds (mostly) to the onset of designating the coins as 'current' in the cataloging system.
Google translate has been useful for these, but doesn't always get the right to left correct. Have also seen the translations as 'Big Japan' rather than 'Great Japan' and 'State of Japan' rather than 'Country of Japan', yet the meanings are congruent in translation.
After the conclusion of WWII the inscription changed to 府政本日 "Nippon seifu" or "Government of Japan" (reading right to left) which was used for a limited period of time after the war and prior to the formation of the new constitution and government.
The third and current inscription is 日本国 "Nippon koku" or "Country of Japan" (also reading left to right which is how it is on the coins). The use of this inscription corresponds (mostly) to the onset of designating the coins as 'current' in the cataloging system.
Google translate has been useful for these, but doesn't always get the right to left correct. Have also seen the translations as 'Big Japan' rather than 'Great Japan' and 'State of Japan' rather than 'Country of Japan', yet the meanings are congruent in translation.
Coin design motifs
There are several recurring motifs with historical associations found on the modern Japanese coins. This is a brief discussion, and other details may be noted in discussing specific coins.
Cherry blossom
The national flower and significant part of Japanese culture. Hanami is a traditional custom, wherein the blossoms (usually of the sakura or cherry) are appreciated. The Washington DC cherry trees were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912 |
Imperial emblems
Chrysanthemum--the Imperial crest. 16 petals of specific size ratios. Initially adopted as early as the 8th century, with beginning of Meiji era it is now the official seal of the Emperor. Paulownia (Kirimon)--The government seal. Three leaves, three flower branches with 5, 7 and 5 flowers on the branches. Originally one of the Imperial crests, but now the government and/or Prime Minister's emblem. |
Phoenix/Hoo bird--Not the same as the phoenix of other mythologies but is specifically associated with the Emperor. The legend is that the bird appears when a boy destined to be Emperor is born, or at the beginning of a new era and during peace and prosperity.
Sunburst Crest--representative of the Sun Goddess, and thus the Imperial family. Often encircled by the Sacred Mirror (as this was part of early myth) |
The Sacred Mirror--an 8 lobed mirror, a gift from the Sun Goddess and possessed by the first Emperor of Japan. One of the Imperial treasures and required to ascend to the throne.
The Golden Kite--In legend the bird perched beside Jimmu Tenno (he being the first Emperor) thus blinding/scaring the enemies and aiding in victory. A warlike emblem (seen on the war issues). |
Fuji-san/Mount Fuji-- another cultural icon of Japan.
Crows-- appear on several coins but I don't know the meaning as yet. There is a three legged crow that is featured in some mythology, but the crows on the coins do not appear to have the extra appendage. |
Reading Resources
and some useful links
This book has two editions (1975 and 1978) and is highly useful. It is a fairly small reference and easily understood.
The sections regarding historical and general information are brief but invaluable. The specific coin sections are also of interest, but needless to say the valuations are woefully outdated and there is minimal information on varieties. Buy it if you can. The author sadly passed away several years ago and I have no idea who/what entity might hold the copyright or what plans they may have to re-publish. Definitely an asset to a personal library and can be found on eBay (two copies as I write this). |
This was originally printed in 1953, with subsequent republishing in 1972 (Spinks is listed as copyright holder inside the cover on that edition). A paperback version was released in 2009 with two forwards added (haven't read those yet).
As 2009 was 56 years after the original publishing date, I suspect the original content is now public domain under the copyright laws prior to 1977. The two authors were military officers stationed in post-war Japan, and had extensive access to original sources as well as the treasury. Coupled with Japanese literacy and an interest in Japanese numismatics they were in position to generate a fantastic resource. |
The first of two parts is penned by Dr. Vermeule and serves as an introduction to the monetary history of Japan.
The second part is a catalog and attributed to Dr. Jacobs. It includes all issues as known at the time, but is lacking in some variety information now known. There is an included (at least in my edition) a pamphlet tucked in at the end that is dated 1972 and is a price list.
It is readable and though perhaps not completely exhaustive in varieties as known now, it is an invaluable addition to a personal library. It remains available on eBay and Amazon and can be found in all three editions.
The second part is a catalog and attributed to Dr. Jacobs. It includes all issues as known at the time, but is lacking in some variety information now known. There is an included (at least in my edition) a pamphlet tucked in at the end that is dated 1972 and is a price list.
It is readable and though perhaps not completely exhaustive in varieties as known now, it is an invaluable addition to a personal library. It remains available on eBay and Amazon and can be found in all three editions.
Description key
A. Catalog or JNDA number (partially cut off in the photo)
B. Japanese and English descriptor C. Physical description (weight, diameter, metal content etc) D. Drawing rendition of obverse and reverse E. Regnal or Era year column F. Gregorian calendar year column G. Mintages column H. Condition row (number key below) J. Value column in yen The condition descriptions/definitions (per a translator): 1. "Perfect mint state" 2. "Never used, small flaws" 3. "Barely used, nice" 4. "Used, but nearly new" or "normal" 5. "Circulated" or "poor" Mentally I consider these as 'gem', 'BU', 'AU-58', 'AU-50-55', 'XF' and 'G-VF'. Not exactly a direct correlation, but it's all I've got. |
The Japanese Numismatic Dealer Association (JNDA) publishes an annual catalog which covers pretty much every coin and note. The catalogs can be obtained from various eBay sellers and online coin sellers, generally for reasonable prices. There is a 1500 yen price on the back, but it will cost more at the very least to get it shipped overseas.
There is not too much variance between the years though there are educational sections that do change. The catalog is almost entirely written in Japanese, with not much more than the basic headings in English. That said, one can definitely glean useful information. Prices are naturally in yen, so conversion to US dollars has to be done at the prevailing rate. The prices in yen used to be fairly accurate, but there is more weakness in the market. Even so, this is a better barometer for prevailing prices than Krause/NGC price guide IN MY OPINION. |
The JNDA is divided into sections, with numerical designations or catalog numbers being assigned to each coin. Section 1 of the Japanese Numismatic Dealers Association (JNDA) catalog starts with the 'Modern Type Coins', beginning with the gold 20 yen coin minted in 1870 and following each denomination in descending order. Section 2 is labeled 'Current coins'. Section 3 is for commemorative coins and Section 4 contains the Prefecture series. The sections continue on and include occupied territories, coin sets, pre-modern coinage, and currency.
Published in 2011 this is an EXTREMELY useful and readable book. The focus is on the pre-1870 coinage which covers a vast amount of years and styles.
Although this is not a segment I collect to any significant degree I would not be without this book. Huge asset. This is a current publication and is found on Amazon. |
Munro's 'Coins of Japan' was one of the original resources in the English language, and considered one of the top resources in any language.
Sadly, the reprints (it's old enough to be public domain now) can be a bit variable in quality. Also, the older style verbiage makes it a bit less approchable for the modern reader. This is one title that if I can get my hands on an original printing (with plates intact) I would want to buy. Though I own this, I have not given it a proper study due to the limits of the reproduction and the language style. |
Links to pages on this website
Useful links:
NGC pricing guide -- a reasonable source on finding ballpark figures. NGC does not recognize all varieties.
LionCoins.com -- this website is the original page I read to understand how to 'read' a Meiji/post Meiji coin. Excellent.
Fudewaza.net-- a calligraphy generator, which was very helpful in getting some of the characters rendered here.
Wikipedia.org-- the Japan listing contains an ever-so-brief history.
Google translate -- helpful mostly.
Numista, Japan page -- some good dating and symbol information, explained a bit differently which might be helpful.
Portland Coins -- another dating explanation. I find it useful to look at different sites as different approaches, graphics or examples may do the trick in making an unfamiliar topic (to a Western eye in this case) more easily comprehended.
NGC pricing guide -- a reasonable source on finding ballpark figures. NGC does not recognize all varieties.
LionCoins.com -- this website is the original page I read to understand how to 'read' a Meiji/post Meiji coin. Excellent.
Fudewaza.net-- a calligraphy generator, which was very helpful in getting some of the characters rendered here.
Wikipedia.org-- the Japan listing contains an ever-so-brief history.
Google translate -- helpful mostly.
Numista, Japan page -- some good dating and symbol information, explained a bit differently which might be helpful.
Portland Coins -- another dating explanation. I find it useful to look at different sites as different approaches, graphics or examples may do the trick in making an unfamiliar topic (to a Western eye in this case) more easily comprehended.