The Japanese dragon designs from the late 19th to early 20th centuries continue to fascinate me. Not long after finding a decent 10 Sen, posted here recently, I happened along a pretty equivalent 5 Sen example. All of this after a very long break from buying Japanese coins in general. I guess things go in waves. This one has a mintage of 5,593,172 and is the first year of issue for this specific type. It's also so tiny at 15.15mm that seeing the details of the dragon in hand can cause slight eye strain. The magnification looks decent, though. This remains one of my favorite coin types ever produced. Empire of Japan (大日本), 5 Sen (五銭), Meiji 6 (明治六年) or 1873, NGC MS 63, JNDA 01-35 My dragon family now spans 5 denominations, from 1 Yen to 5 Sen. Share any dragon coins, or any of your favorite Japanese coins!
