This is one odd experimental coin that was attempted by a Japanese company as various metals were used for the second world war. This 1 sen "coin" was never released to the public as the war was pretty much coming to an end. I have seen them up on ebay from time to time but when I do come across one, it's either I forget to bid or prices just go too absurd. This time though, I finally won it at a reasonable price that I'm happy to pay for. It's a coin orientation btw the way. There's supposedly a medal orientation of it but I'm not going to bother finding one. Here is some additional information but I am not too sure how to translate them: 佐賀県有田町 協和新興陶器有限会社及び 京都 瀬戸にて製造 三間坂粘土 ６０％ 泉山石 １５％ 赤目粘土 １５％ その他 １０％
I have seen them in my old Krause catalog, but I have never actually come across one and seen it other than on the internet. There were porcelain tokens made in Germany during the hyperinflation of 1922-23 but they for the most part never circulated and were more like donation receipts for charity. I think the porcelain would be a bit more durable for circulation than a plain fired clay coin. I think it is kind of interesting that these 1 sen coins were made at all, since one would think inflation would have rendered that denomination valueless - but apparently hadn't until the war ended and the yen went into a tailspin down to 360:$1.
Yeah, kinda reminds me of those German Porcelain notgeld as well...they did circulate at first but it became apparent early on that when peoples money breaks, there is going to be problems and they became just a curiosity. Thanks for posting this, I was unaware Japan did something similar.
There is a little bit of controversy about that. Krause asserts that the 1 sen "circulated unofficially for a few days before the end of WW II in Central Japan”, but I’ve never found any other authority for that statement. (They don’t make the same claim about the 5 sen or 10 sen versions.) Michael Cummings, in Modern Japanese Coinage (2d Ed. 1978) describes the process by which some 15-million (all denominations) were stamped and baked (with considerable breakage and other manufaturing damage) by private pottery companies on behalf of the Mint. He reports at least 20 different types in white, red and brown colors, and gives a $200-400 value for complete sets. Before his death a few years ago, he was selling them on Ebay at <$10 for the red 1 sen, and usually $100 or more for anything else. The Japanese Numismatic Dealers Association Catalog lists all three as porcelain patterns, implying that they were never circulated. It values them at ¥2-5,000, ¥40-80,000 and ¥50-100,000 respectively, and does not mention anything about color variations. Jacobs & Vermuele, in Japanese Coinage (Part Two, 1953) describe all three as “red fibre which did not circulate", and state that the 5 sen and 10 sen are also known in “clay and various such materials” but does not say that about the 1 sen. Their valuations were $4, $35 and $35 respectively. Incidentally, I have never seen fibre examples, nor heard of them from any other source. Fibre coins were circulated in some occupied territories. The other primary English language work on Japanese coins, Munro’s Coins of Japan (1904) pre-dates these coins, and the 1962 reprint was not updated. Lesser known author J.G. Spadone (Catalog of Modern Japanese Korean Manchukuo Coins, 1960) ignores them, leaving Krause as the only English language “authority” claiming that any of them actually circulated. Collector friends in Japan have told me there is no record of circulation for any of the clay/porcelain coins, and while the Japan Mint Bureau website has no mention of the higher denominations, it specifically states that the 1 sen was “never issued”. Presumably all three were displayed at the Osaka Mint’s special ceramic coin exhibition last August, which unfortunately I did not have an opportunity to attend. This excerpt from the JNDA Catalog gives the name and location of a ceramics factory and a breakdown of two types of clay, a type of stone, and "other" components of the mix.
hontonai, thanks for the information. I am aware that there are brown version of this but as of hearing white, I have only heard rumors of it and never seen a picture of it anywhere. Would you happen to have any hontonai? Also hontonai, I'm sure you are having the same JNDA catalog as mine - how exactly can it be explainable that all three porcelain coins were made in three different companies? Somewhat in my opinion, these were experimental "coins" which would likely to have been released in circulation if the war prolonged any longer. Also if anyone is interested in what the Japanese text meant, here is the translation kindly provided by wd1040 in coincommunity: It's made in Saga prefecture, Arita town. It's made by Kyowashinkou (Peaceful development) Porcelain Co. in Kyoto and also Seto Co. 60% Clay (Special from Sankansaka) 15% Granite 15% Red clay 10% other
The only picture I have ever seen of a white one was in one of Mike Cummings' EBay listings several years ago, but the price was outrageous. If I recall correctly, it was a 5 sen.
hontonai, I believe the story with 5 and 10 sen are completely different. In the JNDA catalog, if I am not mistaken does state that it was for trial purposes only unlike the 1 sen which I'm sure there were a lot more produced.
I don't really think there was any difference, except perhaps how many were baked. As I said, Krause is the only "authority" which claims the 1 sen circulated at all. JNDA describes all three as "Patterns".
