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1/2 Yen - Meiji Copper pattern
| Issuer | Osaka Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1870 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a radiant sunburst at the centre of the field, surrounded by a circular arrangement of twelve alternating paulownia (桐) crests and chrysanthemum (菊) imperial seals, presented in a bold, heraldic composition emblematic of the Meiji imperial tradition. The devices are evenly spaced and rendered in crisp relief, conveying a formal, ceremonial character. No legend or inscription is present; the design is contained within a plain raised rim. |
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| Additional information |
Pattern coinage from the Osaka Mint's earliest operational years, when Japanese authorities were still negotiating the balance between Western minting technology — imported wholesale from abroad, including machinery and foreign advisors — and the denominations appropriate for domestic commerce. The half-yen copper pattern was never adopted; the silver half-yen entered circulation instead, leaving copper trial pieces from this period as production artifacts of an unresolved monetary debate rather than a failed coin.