Please help - 1962 Japanese Bullet train coin

Hi, My name is Joe and I am new to the forum.

I have a coin that was given to a friend by the Japanese ambassador in 1962. it is a 1962 Japanese Gold coin that is over an ounce and all the writing on it is Japanese. It is around the size of a 1 oz gold eagle. It has picture of the bullet train on it and I am told it is a commemorative coin from the opening of the bullet train.

It comes in a blue fold up plastic package around the size of a letter envelope and the coin is embedded in plastic in it. It has a bunch of Japanese liturature with it and comes in some type of envelope with Japanese Bullet train commemorative stamps on it.

Does anybody know about this coin? I can post pictures tomorrow. Anyone know the value?

Joe

 

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Considering that the Bullet Train (called the Shinkansen in Japanese) was officially opened on October 1, 1964, the date seems suspect. Also, Japan did not officially issue a commemorative coin to mark the occasion, and its first commemorative coins in the post-war era were issued in 1964 to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics (100 and 1000 yen silver coins). The next commemorative coin after that was the copper-nickel 100-yen coin commemorating Expo '70 in Osaka. Japan's first commemorative gold coins were issued in 1986 to mark the 60th year of the Showa Emperor (Hirohito).

I have a feeling that what you have is a gold-plated bronze medal issued in 1964, but pictures of both the coin and the Japanese literature (high resolution so I can read it) will help me to determine just what it is you have.

 

Great. I will photograph it tomorrow and look forward to your opinion.

Thanks!

 

Here are three pictures. Thanks for your patience.. What is this?

 

Hopefully, one of the forum members that can read Japanese will be along soon to give you accurate information.

In the meantime, as best I can tell, the coin and literature are not from "1962" but from the year "Showa 62" which would be 1987.

The coin seems to commemorate the privatization of Japan's railways that occurred on April 1, 1987 and the bullet train pictured is the Maglev MLU 002.

Gary

 

You are right. The "62" means Showa year 62, or 1987. The medal is a gold-plated bronze medal that is commemorating the transition from the old "Kokutetsu" system to the current "JR" system of national train lines. It's currently selling for around $12 on Japanese auction sites.

 

Thanks guys. I had a feeling about it potentially being bronze. It weighed 1.7 oz in the paper sleeve which seemed high for its size.

Joe

 

Gold is more than twice as dense as bronze

 

So your're saying I'm making a horrible point. :headbang: