Catalog
5000 Yen
| Issuer | Bank of Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1957-1986 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse lettering | 5000 日本銀行券 5000 LL 768220 R LL 768220 R 五千円 日本銀行 LL 768220 R LL 768220 R 聖徳太子 5000 大蔵省印刷局製造 5000 (Translation: Bank of Japan Note Five thousand yen Bank of Japan Prince Shōtoku Manufactured by the Ministry of Finance Printing Bureau) |
| Reverse description | Central intaglio vignette of the historic Bank of Japan headquarters building in Tokyo, set within landscaped grounds with trees in the foreground, executed in fine engraving. An oval guilloche frame occupies the left portion of the note, with a lion vignette and red seal to the right. The denominations and issuer name are inscribed in the upper and lower margins in both Latin and Japanese scripts. |
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| Comments |
Pick 93 was Japan's first postwar 5,000 yen note, introduced in 1957 at a denomination that had been effectively worthless during the hyperinflationary spiral of 1945–1949. The Bank of Japan's decision to revive it reflected genuine confidence in the yen's stabilization under the Dodge Line reforms — the denomination had simply had no practical use until purchasing power was credible again.
The series ran nearly three decades, an unusually long lifespan attributable in part to Japan's conservative approach to currency redesign. Notes from the early printings show noticeably different paper weight compared to later issues, a known inconsistency within the run.