Hello, I just won a coin that I really wasn't going to bid on but I had already won one and need to take advantage of shipping. Here is what I have... I found it in the book but do not know which one it is as I can not read it. Can someone tell me which one I have? I am assuming 1898.
I think it says Meiji 31, which according to your Krause info, is 1898. You read it from right to left. On your second pic, look at the 12 o'clock position. The first two characters say Meiji. The three horizontal marks mean "3" and the cross is "ten" (meaning 30) then there's the one. After that is "Year". I like these 50 and 20 sen silver coins. Got a few of 'em myself.
If you like the coppers, check out the 2 Sen coins from this same era: Chunky, funky thick copper coins. Really cool lookin' in VF or higher.
Ethan, Collecting world coins (even if just for appearance and saving on shipping) is a great way to combine the coin hobby with learning about other cultures and languages. Or if you're a language learner, it's a way to expand in the language on understanding a nation's currency, economic history and national symbolic imagery adding to your vocabulary and so on. Even if the coin is just visually appealing to you, it's still nice to know how to refer to it and what the devices signify. There are plenty of resources online, beyond Krause (or other) collector guide books, to expand on and help understand these things. Coin sites and forums are excellent. Many others are simple "go to" references and aren't necessarily coin related, such as Wikipedia where you can glean, for example Japanese era names* (年号, nengō, "year name") and how to read or interpret them, or about a specific period, such as the Meiji period (明治時代, "Meiji jidai, "Meiji period", = Enlightened rule, posthumous name given to the Emperor), about the ruler himself, Mutsuhito ( 1852–1912 ), Meiji Emperor (明治天皇 Meiji-tennō) 122nd emperor of Japan ( 1867–1912 ), the politics of the era (Wiki simple), when the capitol moved from Kyoto to Tokyo and Japan reestablished it's currency, replacing the Tokugawa currency and going onto the international gold standard for the first time (a move to modern decimal coinage), the use of Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals on money for the first time, and when the nation started to become more open to Western trade and exposure to global culture, leaving behind it's sustained isolationist position and the old feudal system. While the references above may seem like overload, the essential information is there on the surface for understanding what the coin bears and provides you with more than a catalog number (KM#) and date. Even if language and culture acquisition isn't your goal, it's surprising how easy it is to pick up a lot about another language or culture just by getting to know how to read and identify the devices on coins and other kinds of currency. I've done this in my own pursuits and it has opened a lot of interesting avenues of research, reading on history and meeting others with great insights into the material because of it. I've come to know many world coins which no longer seem "foreign" and in turn, I feel more comfortable with other languages, too. And, I'm very much a learner when it comes to Japanese coins and currency! BTW, the info posted earlier is all correct... Devices on the coin are read from right to left. Here is a breakdown with kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana (syllabary reading of the characters), Romanji (roman-ized reading) and English translations: 大日本 • 明治三 十一年 • 五十銭 (Great Japan, Meiji 31 (1898) 50 sen) ( 大日本 , だいにほん, "dai nihon" = Great Japan ) • ( 明治, めいじ, "Meiji" = Ruler/Era name, Enlightened rule ) ( 三十一, さんじゅういち, "san jyu ichi" = 31 ) ( 年 , ねん, "nen" = year ) • "50 sen" and ( 五十銭: 五十, ごじゅう, "go jyuu" fifty / 銭, せん, "sen" a former monetary measure, the yen, divided into 100 sen = 1,000 rin.) About the symbols on this coin... The stylized dragon is symbolic of the Emperor of Japan, even though it is derived from Chinese culture like many other things in Japanese culture. In coins this metaphorical Emperor is shown as a curled or coiled dragon hurling flames from its mouth. The orb is called a tamashi (treasure sphere), which is a special jewel said to contain supernatural power. Myth has it that if the dragon loses the tamashi it loses its supernatural power. The opposite side shows the floral symbol of the Imperial household, the chrysanthemum above and the paulownia wreath below. The paulownia continues to be used as a symbol that represents the government of Japan and the Prime Minister in modern times and in differing patterns on modern coins. *BTW, I use a free App on my phone, "Gengou Free" that assists in quick reference between traditional Japanese dating system to it's equivalent in the Western calendar dating system. Even though this thread is about Japanese coins, you certainly can apply the same approach to other coins and historical reference material when trying to sort out coin info. I'm also looking for a nice copper 2 sen for my collection.
Thanks Ethan. In my quest for Japanese coins of the Meiji period, I have only sought BU/Unc coins. I'm very happy with the 50 sen and others I've been able to acquire for my collection. I recently got a 1 Yen Meiji 45 (last year of rule), and several months back picked up two 20 sen Meiji coins, also. One of the 20 sen have a touch of rainbow toning. Not many Japanese coins have such color on them, either having been cleaned or never developing it over the years. My finest piece however, is an early variety 5 yen Meiji year 4 coin in BU!
