Japan's coins: history and modernity, commemorative coins

The first coins in the Land of the Rising Sun were imported from a neighboring state. Learn how Japan's monetary system developed and what coins are operating in the country now.

Coins of Japan: photo, history

The country of the rising sun for centuries has adhered to a policy that is closed from the outside world. Business relations were maintained only with China. In the I century, the Chinese brought to the Japanese islands Yuan - round coins with a hole in the center. Their name was translated as "a subject of the round form". First, residents use Chinese money, and later they begin to mint their own Japanese zen coins, which completely copy Chinese yuan.

By the end of the 10th century, the Japanese state began to weaken. The government stopped stamping. In Japan, Chinese money began to operate again.

Since the fourteenth century, private coinage money has been produced by rich families. Private Zen did not have a single course, they were made from different metals and were not always of high quality. In the country even there was a practice to demand replacement or a discount on poor-quality coins.

Japanese Yen

Private coinage of coins led to economic decline and chaos, as the country had money of absolutely any denominations, form and material. In 1871, a single Japanese currency appeared on the market , which still operates. The name of her "yen" by analogy with the Chinese yuan means "circle" or "round object".

Coins of Japan have acquired a clear round shape. One yen consisted of 100 parts of sen, which were divided into 10 rin. In the second half of the twentieth century, the yen received the status of an international currency, and in 1954 the senas and rinas came out of circulation.

In the beginning, new Japanese coins were tied simultaneously to two metals. Thus, the value of the yen was determined as 25 g of silver and 1.5 g of gold. Later, the yen was tied only to gold and to the US dollar. One dollar was equal to 360 yen.

Recently, the value of the Japanese currency has increased significantly, it is one of the world's reserve currencies.

Modern coins of Japan

The most common coins in circulation are denominations of 1, 5, 10, 100, 500 yen. The reverse shows the face value and the hieroglyphs that denote the year of issue. The obverse (front side) depicts various plants. For example, on a coin of 500 yen there are drawings of paulownia, citrus and bamboo, and the sakura is decorated with a coin 100.

Japan traditionally produces coins with a hole in the middle of denominations of 50 and 5 yen. 10 yen are a kind of exception: the obverse depicts not a plant, but a pavilion in the Bedouin monastery, surrounded by arabesques.

Among the paper denominations in circulation are the denominations of 1000, 5000, 10 000, so the 1-yen coin costs negligible, but is actively used in the country. Numismatists are ready to give from 20 rubles for 1 yen 1990-2010 years of release, and a modern coin of 100 yen is worth collectors from 40 Russian rubles.

The government of Japan carefully protects its currency from counterfeits. One way to prevent coin fraud is to use the finest lines in the drawing that are visible only when viewed at a certain angle.

Commemorative Coins

In addition to everyday negotiable banknotes, Japanese coins are issued. Usually they are timed to any significant events and dates in the country. Coins produce a limited edition, which makes them especially in demand among collectors. They act on the same level as the negotiable ones, they can be paid for services and products.

There are about a hundred types of commemorative coins with denominations ranging from 100 to 10,000 yen. Since 2008, 500 yen with the image of the Japanese prefectures have begun. They began to produce in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Japanese autonomy, and about 16 pieces have already been produced. The material was zinc and nickel. The second series of similar commemorative coins is issued with a denomination of 1000 yen of silver. Their circulation was about 100 000 of each kind.