Strange Japanese Coin

I ran across this Japanese Coin among a handful I picked at my dealers bulk box. Its really got me stumped as I cannot identify it in the Standard Catalog of World Coins. It appears to be Japanese with the legend year 20 (or is it 12). Anyway, its supposed to be from the Taisho era. Now as I can tell, the Taisho era only went to 15. It appears to be a 10 sen coint, and is steel colored the scanned color appears to be brass or bronze, but this is false, at least to my color blind eye. Any help in identifying this coin would be greatly appreciated. If you know the catalog number that would be really helpful. Regards, Bill

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I think it is a Japanese 1923 (year 12) 10 sen ... I'm still looking for a catalog number

Here are two others with the same problem identifying, no catalog numbers mentioned however:

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=125449

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=124615

Hope this helps!

 

Krause has it as a Y# 45

 

I kept seeing those Y# associated with similar 10 sen ebay auctions but didn't realize they were the Krause number.

 

Actually, it's the R. S. Yoeman numbers that sre just used by Krause. They are from Yoeman's "Modern World Coins" and "Current Coins of the World".

 

Now I'm really confused. The reference I have cites numbers as =+ as 20. Y#45 covers the 10 sen up to year 15. Can anyone clarify this for me...for sure? I checked the links listed above, and they are the same coin as mine. If =+ is 12, then what is 20? Ideas anyone?? Regards, Bill

 

I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't actually a chinese coin. As I recall, the chinese and Japanese number characters are the same, but chinese is read right to left and the Japanese are left to right. Is it possible that its a Chinese Year 12 coin? I could be wrong, but don't the chinese use the symbol for "year" on the left side of the numbers, whereas the Japanese have it on the right side of the numbers. If my logic is correct, then =+ would be 12 if reading from right to left (Chinese?) and 20 if reading Japanese if reading from right to left??? someone help me out here if you know....regards, Bill

 

read it backwards, =+ is 12, and += is 20. So the coin is year 12, 1923

 

And it is japanese, it's a 10 sen, Y# 45

 

Traditionally correct, but fairly early in the Showa era the Japanese reversed the order on their coins to the current left to right orientation. During the Meiji and Taisho eras the traditional form was followed.

The coin has been correctly identified by Billyray.

 

Yep, thanks a lot guys. I knew I wasn't crazy, just backwards. Hontonai clarified it all for me, and for that I'm grateful. After much careful examination, I came to the conclusion that I was wrong in thinking it was Chinese, but you could understand my confusion in the left to right and right to left reading. I've tagged it as Y# 45 and added it to my Japanese collection of coins for year 1923....Regards, and thanks to all who answered. Bill

 

I know nothing of Japanese except how to read and write it.

This is a Japanese coin. It says "Great Japan" on the top read right to left. The bottom says "Great righteous 12 year" read right to left, as well. The other side says 10 sen, but I'm not sure what the actual character translation is. I just memorized that to be sen.

 

Actually you have translated the nengo (era name) "Taisho", applicable to Emperor Yoshihito, grandfather of the current Heisei Emperor (Akihito).

 

I can't read any Asian characters...but the dead-giveaway for me is the Chrysanthemum.

I believe it is the 'Imperial' mon, or seal. Please do correct my potentially erroneous assumptions, and thank you!

 

Yup.

 

Yours is a 1923


Mine is a 1922


And I also have a 1940 made out of aluminum whereas the 1922 and 1923 are copper nickel.



My 1922(yr.11) had a mintage of 163,980,000 compared to the 1923(yr.12) with a mintage of only 8,000,394. Minimal values, less than a $1 but still a neat coin

 

Regarding the direction to read Japanese dates, the character for year (pictured below) always comes after the number, so you can use it to guide you which way to read.

 

Yes, that is a very strange coin.

 

OK Guys, now that we've determined that this is a Japanese Coin, how do you tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese. I just ran across a picture of a Vietnamese coin in Krause, that looks to me to be Chinese. Is there a dead giveaway, such as the Crysanthemum on the Japanese Coins? The coins I am talking about are pictured under the French Protectorate and appears to be very early 1900's. I've come across a lot of what appears to be chinese coins, but since there are so many fakes, and copies, how is a guy to know what's real, and what's not, and whats Chinese, and whats not????

Now maybe I should be confused Poe....lol

 

The dead giveaway for Japanese coins after the Meji Reformation of 1868 is that all coins will have Nihon (below) in some form. I'm afraid I know less about other Asian coinage.