Japan 1938 (S13) sen Y-47
This specimen was lot 2714 in Stephen Album sale 41 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2021), where it sold for $54. The catalog description[1] noted, "JAPAN: Showa, 1926-1989, AE sen, year 13 (1938), a wonderful nearly full red lustrous example! PCGS graded MS64 RB. Incorrectly labeled date on PCGS holder." This one sen was struck in Japan during the reign of the Showa emperor, Hirohito (1926-89). This type was struck 1938 only and is common. Two other sen were issued in 1938 (KM Y55 and Y56), the latter aluminum. Prior to the opening of Japan in the 1850's and 1860's, Japanese coins were a mix of Chinese-style cast copper cash, silver rectangular "bu" and rare, gold "oban." The last one sen coin was issued in 1945, as B-29's rained death on Japanese cities.
Recorded mintage: 87,649,338 plus 113,600,000 of Y55 plus 45,502,266 of Y56.
Specification: 3.75 g, bronze, 23 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM Y47, JNDA-01-48.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th 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 41, featuring the Dick Nanta Collection of Giray Khans, Part II, the Charles Opitz Collection of Ethnographic Money, Part II, and the Allan F. Pacela Collection of Chinese Coins. Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2021.
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