Trivia - Japan

Roy, I had a question. Was the clay coins circulated in Tokyo or Osaka? I had been reading some articles and some say Osaka and some say Tokyo. As well as, how were these actually created? I assume they were first struck on soft clay and later baked in an oven or something?

 

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It's not very smart to make a statement from memory without having recently rechecked your sources. The baked clay coins are believed by most authorities to have circulated primarily in the Osaka area, not Tokyo.

A coin collecting acquantance in my Beautiful Bride's home town, about 250 miles northeast of Tokyo, doesn't recall ever seeing one in that area until many years later, at a coin show.

The Japanese Numismatic Dealers Association catalog lists the 1, 5 and 10 sen pieces as patterns, and refers to them as porcelain. All of the other authorities call them baked clay. The appearance (and feel) of my red 1 sen lacks the fine lusterous finish one would expect from porcelain, so I personally go along with the more mundane description.

 

Roy,can you please post some photos of your clay 1 Sen coin? I think Manchukuo also issued clay coins as well.Am I right?

Aidan.

 

I've never successfully photographed the coin because of the lack of contrast, but I'll try again with some side lighting and post it if I am successful.

Manchukou issued fiber 1 fen and 5 fen coins. The ones dated K'ang-Te 12 (1945) iin both red and brown fiber are among the most valuable coins of this Japanese puppet state. There are no other fiber or clay coins listed in the JNDA catalog.

 

In the event anyone is wondering about fiber coins, here is another Clinker trivia thread:

http://www.cointalk.org/showthread.php?t=18795&highlight=fiber+coins

 

Thanks acanthite for the mention of my earlier posting on the fiber coins.

Clinker

 

Including another dozen attempts.

Since a brick-red blob will iimpart no knowledge, I won't bother posting the clay sen. Sorry.

 

gxseries:

Couldn't find any photos, but the info and photo is on page 1147 in the 2007 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000.

Clinker

 

I used to print out these coin educational post but after accumulating almost 4 inches of paper I realized I should just read these posts and probably forget them. I didn't know any of this about Japan, will probably never need to, will more than likely forget it by tomorrow but it is interesting. I keep saying we should suggest school systems join this forum. For instance what would happen with this topic if shown in schools in Japan?

 

You know, what's very interesting is how Japanese kids used to argue that the denomination 2 is unusual and some did say such figure never existed in numismatics when the first 2,000 yen note was released. Up to now, there are still some terrible misconceptions about this!

Currently the Japanese coinage only have 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen (which ironically adds up to 666 yen) and the paper bills of 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen (the 2,000 yen note is somewhat dead) However in the past, there was such thing as 1/2 sen, 2 sen, 20 sen and in some rarer coins, 2 yen and 20 yen gold coins. Banknotes of 200 yen were issued before in the past. And in 2000, 2000 yen note was released but soon to be a dodo.

 

Wasn't there ever a 20,000 Yen note issued? I know there was a 2 Yen note in the Allied Military Currency issue.

Aidan.

 

I doubt it. 10,000 yen is the highest and still is the highest denomination note used in Japan. I don't believe a 2 yen note exists.

Here is a list of banknotes released by Japan: http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/countries/japan.html

 

If there was, the JNDA doesn't know about it.

 

I'm going to add in some more.

Now feel free to break them if my facts are wrong.

Did you know that Japan is the only insane country that has issued a face value of 100,000 yen on a 20gram gold coin back in 1986, which makes it to 5000 yen per gram? 5000 yen is approximately 43USD ish. Not too bad if you can buy the coin in bullion value, that is if you can! (as gold is approximately 20USD per gram!) Definately legal tender but no one sane enough would use it!

Link: http://www.mint.go.jp/eng/data/page02_e.html


Did you know that Japan's colored coins are actually "inspired" from the colored Korean coins for FIFA2002? (as well as, the first colored coin is extremely expensive - you DON'T want to know the price)

Did you know that because of the high value of 500 yen coins, counterfeiting of such coins occured by modifying the Korean won and hence it caused a new "goldish" design. Yet this did not stop counterfeiters to target this high denomination coin. This did cause a havoc with the vending machines as many machines had to be adjusted. You are talking about several tens of thousands of machines here!

Did you know that Japan's 1 yen is actually perfectly 1 gram, as in perfect 1 gram? Try putting 100 of them together and see if they really come up to 100 grams exact. Undamaged coins please

Feel free to add or comment on mine.

 

gxseries

Thanks gxseries for joining the thread on Japanese trivia and your addendums.

Clinker

 

Japan 2003 1000 yen, commemorating the 5th Winter Asian Games in Aomori







This is the first colorized coin minted in Japan released back in 2003. A mintage of 50,000 and in one full ounce.

Current trends in Yahoo Japan auctions seem to be hitting at least 65,000yen which is around 550USD. What is even more shocking is that, I heard in the JNDA 2007 edition, it is catalogued as 95,000yen which is around 800USD!!! Perhaps way too much for a modern silver proof coin! Fortunately I just paid a fraction of it!

Jpgs of the inside slip: (300k each though)

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/8691/2003coverfrontox5.jpg

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/5038/2003coverbackzd1.jpg

 

Those are nice coloured Proof medal-coins.

Aidan.