10 Yen - Shōwa 23mm pattern, security edge

Obverse description	Central device features a ho-o (Japanese phoenix) rendered in high relief, depicted in profile facing right with elaborately engraved plumage and sweeping tail feathers, standing upon stylized clouds or waves. Two small chrysanthemum rosettes flank the phoenix in the left and right fields. The legend 日本國 (State of Japan) curves along the upper periphery in bold Japanese characters, while 昭和 (Shōwa era name) appears at lower left and the year numeral at lower right, all set within a plain raised border.
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Edge	Security edge
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Additional information	The postwar Japanese monetary reform of 1948 was driven partly by SCAP directives — Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers had substantial influence over fiscal policy during the Occupation — and the Mint experimented with multiple diameter and composition combinations before settling on the bronze 10 yen that wouldn't appear until 1951. This 23mm nickel pattern with security edge was one of several rejected proposals from that process. Nickel was ultimately set aside, likely due to ongoing material allocation pressures in the still-recovering industrial economy.