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500 Yen - Heisei Antarctica
| Issuer | Japan Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 2007 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central field depicts two Sakhalin Husky sled dogs reclining and facing each other, commemorating the famous survivors of the first Japanese Antarctic expedition. Above the dogs, the icebreaker vessel Sōya (宗谷) is rendered in detail, bearing the hull designation PL107. The country name 日本国 (Japan) arcs along the upper legend, while the denomination 五百円 (500 yen) is inscribed at the lower field in large kanji characters. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded inner border. |
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| Obverse lettering | 日本国 宗谷 SŌYA PL107 五百円 |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark the 50th anniversary of Japan's participation in the International Geophysical Year (1957–58), which established the Showa Station on East Ongul Island in Antarctica — a base that has operated continuously, with only a brief interruption in the early 1960s, ever since. Japan was one of twelve nations conducting coordinated geophysical research during that program, and the Antarctic research mission became a point of considerable national prestige during the postwar recovery period.