Japan 1871 (M4) 5 sen

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Steve Album sale 39, lot 3407
Stack's Bowers 2021 ANA sale, lot 45209
photo courtesy Stack's Bowers LLC

The first specimen was lot 3407 in Stephen Album sale 39 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[1] noted, "JAPAN: Meiji, 1868-1912, AR 5 sen, year 4 (1871), 66 rays, 79 beads variety, PCGS graded MS64, ex Dr. Axel Wahlstedt Collection." The second specimen was lot 45209 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $192. The catalog description[2] noted, "JAPAN. 5 Sen, Year 4 (1871). Osaka Mint. Mutsuhito (Meiji). PCGS MS-63 Gold Shield. Variety with 53 Rays and 65 Beads. An attractive coin with satiny luster and plum reverse toning." Milled coinage was introduced to Japan in 1870; denominations included the five, ten, twenty, fifty sen and one, two, five, ten and twenty yen. This first design (KM Y1) had the dragon on the obverse surrounded by Chinese characters. The second variety, shown here, had the dragon replaced by Chinese characters stating the denomination. The design was revised in 1873 to add the denomination in English while the denomination written in Chinese numerals was moved to the reverse. The bronze rin, half sen and one sen were added in 1873. Several varieties exist for 1871 (Y1, Y6.1 and Y6.2) of which Y1 is the rarest.

Recorded Mintage: 1,665,613 (including Y-1 and Y-6.2).

Specification: 1.25 g, 0.800 fine silver, 16.2 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM Y-6.1, JNDA-01-34; the second specimen KM-Y6.2; JNDA 01-34.

Source:

  • Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
  • The Catalog of Japanese Coins and Banknotes, Tokyo: JNDA (Japanese Numismatic Dealers Assn.), 2014.
  • [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 39, featuring the John Sylvester, Jr., Collection of Annamese Medals and Orders, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2020.
  • [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The August 2021 ANA sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.

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