Japan 1900 (M33) 10 yen
This specimen was lot 50059 in Stack's Bowers Hong Kong auction (Hong Kong, April 2021), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[1] noted, "JAPAN. 10 Yen, Year 33 (1900). Osaka Mint. Mutsuhito (Meiji). PCGS MS-65+ Gold Shield. Immaculate Gem quality, this better date possesses ultra-smooth surfaces with a few sprinkles of orange color on both sides. Only surpassed by a single coin, that piece graded MS-66, in the PCGS population report. From the Pinnacle Collection." This type was struck 1897-1910 during the Meiji era in considerable numbers but remains scarce today with some dates rare. It seems likely that most of the issue remained in government hands as backing for currency until the inflation of World War One ended any likelihood of circulating the coin.
Recorded mintage: 1,114,766.
Specification: 8.33 g, 0.900 fine gold, 21.2 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-51; KM-Y33; JNDA-01-7.
- 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.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The April 2021 Hong Kong Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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