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50 Sen - Meiji
| Issuer | Imperial Japanese Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1906-1912 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 27.27 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (Kanji) |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a bold rising sun motif at center, with long and short alternating rays radiating outward from a plain circular disk. Encircling the sun is a ring of cherry blossom (sakura) flowers. Flanking the central device, arranged vertically along the left and right fields, are kanji characters reading 'Great Japan' and the regnal year of Meiji. At the bottom of the field, the denomination '50 SEN' is inscribed in Latin characters, with decorative dots separating the legend elements. The design is enclosed within a reeded outer border. |
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| Additional information |
This type was introduced following Japan's sweeping Currency Act of 1897, which halved the silver content of the sen series as part of a broader shift to the gold standard — a direct consequence of the indemnity windfall extracted from China after the First Sino-Japanese War. The 1897 reform gave Japan the gold reserves needed to finally peg the yen to gold, and the subsidiary silver coinage was revalued accordingly.
Production across the 1906–1912 window corresponds almost exactly with the Russo-Japanese War's financial aftermath, a period when government expenditure had so strained the treasury that subsidiary coinage policy remained under continuous review.