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1 Trade Dollar - Meiji countermarked
| Issuer | Imperial Japanese Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1875-1877 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Trade Dollar (105⁄104 JPY) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A finely detailed coiled dragon, rendered in high relief, occupies the central field within a raised beaded inner circle. The dragon is depicted facing left with an open mouth, scaled body, and clawed feet grasping a tama (jeweled sphere) at the base. Japanese characters reading 大日本 明治九年 (Great Japan, Meiji Year 9) arc across the upper field outside the beaded circle, flanking the design. The English legend · 420 GRAINS. TRADE DOLLAR. 900 FINE · encircles the lower portion of the design between the beaded circle and the outer toothed border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The Japanese Trade Dollar was introduced in 1875 specifically to compete with the Mexican peso and the American Trade Dollar in Asian commerce, particularly in China. It never gained meaningful traction — Chinese merchants were deeply skeptical of unfamiliar coinage and continued preferring the Mexican peso by overwhelming margin. The countermark applied to this issue was Japan's attempt to authenticate and re-circulate examples that had returned through official channels, a practice that acknowledged the coin's commercial failure even as production continued.
The series was discontinued by 1877, a run of barely two years.