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10 Yen - Shōwa Smooth edge
| Issuer | Japan Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1959-1989 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The numeral '10' appears prominently in the upper field, flanked on either side by symmetrical sprays of laurel-like foliage. Below the numeral, the regnal date in Kanji script is inscribed horizontally across the central field. The two foliate branches curve downward and are tied at the base with a decorative ribbon bow, forming a wreath enclosing the date. A plain raised rim borders the design. |
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| Reverse lettering | 10 昭和四十九年 (Translation: Year 49 of Shōwa) |
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| Additional information |
The smooth-edge 10 yen replaced the reeded-edge version (Y#73) in 1959 as a cost-cutting measure during retooling of mint equipment — a quiet administrative change with no public announcement and no alteration to the design itself. Production continued uninterrupted across three decades, making this one of the longest-running unchanged bronze issues in postwar Japanese coinage.
Late-date examples from the 1980s are notably common in mint sets but scarce in circulation grades, as the coins increasingly moved through vending machines and automated systems that kept them out of ordinary pocket wear.