Catalog
2 Yen
| Issuer | Imperial Japanese Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1872 |
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| Printer | Dondorf & Naumann, Frankfurt, Germany (1850-1932); National Printing Bureau (国立印刷局, Imperial Printing Bureau of Japan), Japan (1871-date) |
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| Obverse description | Vertical format note printed in black on blue guilloche underprint. The central panel presents a symmetrical composition with two confronting phoenix and dragon vignettes flanking a vertical column of Japanese text stating the denomination and issuing authority. A green Ministry of Finance seal is positioned at the upper left, with the denomination numeral '二' repeated at each corner. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Vertical format reverse printed in brown, with a symmetrical layout mirroring the obverse composition. Red and blue Ministry of Finance seals are applied at center, flanking a vertical inscription giving the issuing authority. The serial number is rendered in Japanese characters and appears twice, once at the top and once at the bottom of the note. |
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| Comments |
Japan's earliest modern paper currency was produced abroad almost by necessity — domestic printing infrastructure capable of handling intaglio banknote work simply did not exist in 1872. Dondorf & Naumann in Frankfurt handled the actual production of this note, with Edoardo Chiossone, the Genoese engraver who had been recruited to establish Japan's own printing capability, responsible for both the design and the engraving. Chiossone would later train Japanese craftsmen and oversee the Imperial Printing Bureau, but at this stage the technical knowledge still had to come from Europe.
The National Printing Bureau credit reflects later institutional association, not a second production site.