My guess would be the dragon side is the obverse but it normally says 5 Sen or some Sen. Maybe it's a token. A pro collector will chime in later and disqualify everything I just said.
Yours is probably the 50 SEN, markings look similar... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japan-1870-Silver-50-Sen-Y-4-ICG-VF-35-/201033001791?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item2ece802b3f&nma=true&si=ofPlrzp495e%252FoNQTx5N8IOOqf4c%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Japanese 50 sen either Y#4 or Y#4a.1 or Y#4a.2 it depends how many millimeters wide the dots are around the dragon ??? if it's 21mm 1 you have a crazy high value coin. measure the inner dots circle around the dragon now. how many millimeters wide is that dost circle around the dragon ???
It's y#4, the other varieties apply to the 1871 (Meiji year 4) coins, not this 1870 (Meiji year 3) one.
Y#4, 50 Sen, 1870 yr.3, mintage-1,806,293 .800-silver, 12.5000g., .3215oz. grade/value F-$32.50 VF-$65.00 XF-$100.00 UNC-$325.00 I would guess that your coin is a VF. ??? very cool coin.
Thanks Guys. That is way cool. I was leaving a coin shop after writing a check for my purchases. I saw a little container on the back shelf, ask what was in there and they said junk world silver. there was 4 coins in there, that one looked cool, they said it was 9 bucks. I had exactly 9 bucks cash in my wallet, figured I could not lose.
This is in a reasonably nice condition. I reckon this could go easily 30 - 50 dollars. For 9 dollars, it's definitely a bargain!
Do you ask? Most dealers I visit, I have to ask if they have any, as it is an after thought to a lot of them.
The top photo should be rotated about 195 degrees clockwise. The bottom photo has the correct orientation.
