1000 Yen - Heisei Fukuoka

This piece belongs to Japan's 47 Prefectures Coin Program, a long-running commemorative series launched in 2008 that issued individual 1,000 yen silver coins for each of Japan's prefectures. Fukuoka Prefecture, on the northern coast of Kyushu, was home to Hakata — historically Japan's primary gateway for trade and diplomatic contact with China and Korea, and the landing point of the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281. The series was administratively managed through a lottery allocation system, meaning many issues saw demand far exceeding available supply at face value.