Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
5 Sen - Meiji
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1871 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.25 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (Kanji) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | At the center of the reverse, a sunburst crest radiates outward within a beaded inner circle. Above the beaded circle, a chrysanthemum flower is flanked by two paulownia flowers, serving as the imperial crest motif. The beaded circle is surrounded by a wreath of intertwined branches, framing the central sunburst design. Two varieties are known, distinguished by the number of rays on the sunburst: an early variety with 66 rays and a late variety with 53 rays. The overall design reflects the nascent imperial symbolism adopted during the early Meiji monetary reform. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Japan's 1871 coinage reform was among the most deliberately engineered monetary overhauls of the 19th century. The New Currency Act of that year abolished the chaotic feudal han currency system and introduced a decimal framework modeled partly on the U.S. dollar standard — a direct result of currency adviser Gottfried Wagener's influence and the Meiji government's broader project of rapid Westernization. These earliest Meiji silver sen pieces were struck at the newly established Osaka Mint, which had only opened in April 1871 with equipment and technical staff imported from Hong Kong's Royal Mint.