Catalog
1 Sen
| Issuer | Taiwan Government General |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is divided into two sections: a left stub portion bearing vertical columns of Japanese text in black letterpress on a plain ground, and a right vignette panel printed in orange-yellow ink with a stamp-like design enclosed within a perforated border. The central vignette displays the numeral '1' and the kanji '壹錢' (one sen) within an ornamental shield, flanked by chrysanthemum rosettes and scrollwork typical of Meiji-era Japanese fiscal design. A horizontal band of Japanese characters arches across the top of the vignette panel above the central motif. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 壹錢 日本産業債券 Sn |
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| Comments |
The Taiwan Government-General (Taiwan Sōtokufu) issued fractional currency in the late Meiji and Taishō periods largely to address the chronic small-change shortages that plagued colonial commerce. Copper coin production lagged well behind the pace of economic development the Japanese administration was deliberately forcing on the island, and paper sen notes filled the gap in a way that metal coinage simply couldn't keep up with.
The 1918 dating places this squarely in the middle of World War One, when global metal supplies were under severe pressure and Japanese mint priorities lay elsewhere.