This is one of the nicest 1/2 Sens I've ever seen (although I'm sure nicer ones exist). As usual, pictures don't do it justice. It glows with full copper shine, luster and has amazing detail on the incredible obverse dragon. I really think the Meiji dragons (copper, silver and gold) are some of the most underrated world coins, at least from an aesthetic perspective. I can't stop staring at them. The plastic case has a few small scuffs on it, which of course show up extremely well with magnification. (1885)M18 1/2 Sen PCGS MS64RD Obverse (text reads in reverse on the coin): 大日本 (Dai-Nihon or "Great Japan"); 明治十八年 (Meiji Juu-hachi Nen or "Meiji Year 18" or 1885) Reverse: 二百枚換一圓 (Nee-hyaku mai kan(?) ichi-en or "Two hundred for one Yen") - includes some archaic Kanji; 半銭 (Han-sen or "Half Sen") The "two hundred for one Yen" on the reverse reminds me of the "1/200" on the reverse of early US Half Cents. The One Sen coin of the same era also includes this text but, obviously, "One hundred for one Yen."
Well, you know I agree with you! That is a nice one! 1885 has a lot of very nice, high grade, red coins relative to some of the other years. Gorgeous! I saw this model when I took a tour of the Mint museum in Osaka: and an early paper drawing of the dragon: