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50 Sen - Shōwa
| Issuer | Imperial Japanese Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1928-1938 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 4.95 g |
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| Obverse description | Central vertical inscription reading '五十錢' (50 Sen) flanked by a pair of stylized phoenix (hō-ō) in profile. The lower portion of the field features a paulownia (kiri) imperial crest framed by symmetrical karakusa arabesque sprigs. A chrysanthemum blossom, the imperial mon of the Emperor of Japan, is prominently displayed at the apex. The overall composition is finely executed in a formal and symmetrical decorative style characteristic of Meiji and Taishō-era Japanese coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 五 十 錢 (Translation: 50 Sen) |
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| Additional information |
Japan's 50 sen silver coinage of this period was progressively debased as military expenditure consumed an increasing share of the national budget through the 1930s. This .720 fine alloy had already represented a step down from the earlier .800 standard, and the type was discontinued entirely in 1938 when wartime aluminum and base-metal substitutes displaced silver from everyday coinage altogether.
Dies for this series were produced at the Osaka Mint, which had operated under British technical supervision since its founding in 1871 — though by this decade it was entirely self-sufficient in both tooling and assay.