50 sen coin

Fifty Sen
Japan
Value   1⁄2 Japanese Yen
Mass (1870–1871) 12.5 g
(1873–1905) 13.4 g
(1906–1917) 10.1 g
(1922–1938) 4.9 g
(1946–1947) 4.5 g
(1947–1948) 2.8 g
Edge Reeded
Shape circular
Composition Silver/copper, then later brass
Years of minting 1870–1948
Obverse
Design Encircled dragon, with Emperor's name at the top, and 50 Sen written out on the bottom. (Pre-1922)
Design date 1873
Reverse
Design Two-sided wreath with a cherry blossom, and denomination. (Pre-1922)
Design date 1873

The 50 sen coin (銭十五) was a Japanese coin worth half of a Japanese yen, as 100 sen equalled 1 yen.[1] These coins circulated from the late 19th century to the early 1950s, when Japan adopted a single currency unit and this coin was demonetized.

History

Fifty sen coins were first minted in 1870 during the reign of the Meiji emperor. The New Currency Act of 1871 stipulated the adoption of the decimal accounting system of yen (1, 圓), sen (1⁄100, 銭), and rin (1⁄1000, 厘), with the coins being round and manufactured using Western machinery.[2] These coins were minted during six periods that spanned three different imperial eras. Production of silver coins stopped in 1938, and the coins were replaced by brass ones starting in 1946. The final fifty-sen coins were produced two years later, and the coin was eventually taken out of circulation at the end of 1953.[3]

Composition

Years Material
1870–1871[4][5] 80% silver, 20% copper
1873–1905[6][5] 80% silver, 20% copper
1906–1917[7][5] 80% silver, 20% copper
1922–1938[8][5] 72% silver, 28% copper
1946–1947[9] Brass
1947–1948[10] Brass

Circulation figures

Meiji

The following are circulation figures for the coins that were minted between the 3rd, and the 45th and last year of Meiji's reign. Coins for this period will all begin with the Japanese symbol 明治 (Meiji). Fifty sen pieces that were minted between 1874 and 1877, and in 1880, are considered key date coins with a value in the thousands of US dollars. Early silver fifty sen coins have often been counterfeited, so grading by an expert is recommended for collectors.[1][6]

Inscriptions from Japanese coins from this period are read from right to left: "Year" <- "Number representing year of reign" <- "Emperors name" (Ex: 年 <- 五十三 <- 治明)

Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[7]
3rd 三 1870 1,806,293[4]
4th 四 1871 Includ. with 1870[4]
6th 六 1873 3,447,733[6]
7th 七 1874 95,304[6]
8th 八 1875 109[6]
9th 九 1876 1,251[6]
10th 十 1877 184,348[6]
13th 三十 1880 179[6]
18th 八十 1885 409,920[6]
30th 十三 1897 5,078,437[6]
31st 一十三 1898 22,797,041[6]
32nd 二十三 1899 10,254,431[6]
33rd 三十三 1900 3,280,091[6]
34th 四十三 1901 1,790,000
35th 五十三 1902 1,023,200
36th 六十三 1903 1,503,068
37th 七十三 1904 5,373,652
38th 八十三 1905 9,566,100
39th 九十三 1906 12,478,264
40th 十四 1907 24,062,952
41st 一十四 1908 25,470,321
42nd 二十四 1909 21,998,600
43rd 三十四 1910 15,323,276
44th 四十四 1911 9,900,437
45th 五十四 1912 3,677,704

Taishō

The following are circulation figures for the coins that were minted between the 1st and the 15th (and last) year of Taishō's reign. Coins for this period will all begin with the Japanese symbol 大正 (Taishō).

"Year" <- "Number representing year of reign" <- "Emperors name" (Ex: 年 <- 三十 <- 正大)
Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[7][8]
1st 元 1912 1,928,649
2nd 二 1913 5,910,063
3rd 三 1914 1,872,331
4th 四 1915 2,011,253
5th 五 1916 8,736,768
6th 六 1917 9,963,232
11th 一十 1922 76,320,000
12th 二十 1923 185,180,000
13th 三十 1924 78,520,000
14th 四十 1925 47,808,000
15th 五十 1926 32,572,000

Showa

A 50 sen coin from 1948.

The following are circulation figures for coins minted between the 3rd and the 23rd year of Emperor Showa's reign. Inscriptions on coins of this period all begin with the Japanese symbol 昭和 (Showa). They are read from right to left:

"Year" <- "Number representing year of reign" <- "Emperors name" (Ex: 年 <- 二十 <- 和昭)

* = First style (Brass)
** = Second style (Brass, reduced size)

Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[8]
3rd 三 1928 38,592,000
4th 四 1929 12,568,000
5th 五 1930 10,200,000
6th 六 1931 27,677,501
7th 七 1932 24,132,795
8th 八 1933 10,001,973
9th 九 1934 20,003,995
10th 十 1935 11,738,334
11th 一十 1936 44,272,796
12th 二十 1937 48,000,533
13th 三十 1938 3,600,717
21st 一十二 1946 268,161,000
22nd 二十二 1947 * Includ. with 1946
22nd 二十二 1947 ** 849,234,445
23rd 三十二 1948 Includ. with 1947

References

  1. 1 2 "Japan 5, 10, 20, 50 Sen and 1 Yen (Fakes are possible) 1873 to 1900". www.coinquest.com. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  2. ↑ A. Piatt Andrew, Quarterly Journal of Economics, "The End of the Mexican Dollar", 18:3:321–356, 1904, p. 345
  3. ↑ A law of the abolition of currencies in a small denomination and rounding off a fraction, July 15, 1953 Law No.60 (小額通貨の整理及び支払金の端数計算に関する法律 Shōgakutsūka no seiri oyobi shiharaikin no hasūkeisan ni kansuru hōritsu))
  4. 1 2 3 "Japan 50 Sen Yr.3(1870)-Yr.4(1871)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kokusai Tsushin-Sha (1915). Japan as it is. Imperial Japanese commission. p. 262. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Japan 50 Sen Yr. 18 (1885)-Yr.9(1876)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Chester L. Krause & Clifford Mishler. Collecting World Coins 10th edition. Krause Publications. p. 431.
  8. 1 2 3 Chester L. Krause & Clifford Mishler. Collecting World Coins 10th edition. Krause Publications. p. 432.
  9. ↑ "Japan 50 Sen Yr.21(1946)-Yr.22(1947)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Japan 50 Sen Yr.22(1947)-Yr.23(1948)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
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