View source for Japan 1888 (M21) yen

[[Image:SB820-23158o.jpg|300px|thumb|Stack's Bowers 2020 ANA sale, lot 23158]]
[[Image:SB820-23158r.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was lot 23158 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Las Vegas, August 2020), where it sold for $192. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, "[[Japan|JAPAN]]. Yen, Year 21 (1888). Mutsuhito (Meiji). PCGS Genuine--Tooled, Unc Details Gold Shield. A bright and untoned Yen with nearly full frosty luster. The tooling is very minor and distracts little from the overall attractiveness of the coin." This type, roughly equal to a silver dollar, was struck 1874-1912. The diameter was slightly reduced in mid-1886, creating two varieties for 1886-87 which cannot be told apart without a micrometer. The last silver yen was struck in 1917. 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."

''Recorded mintage:'' 9,477,414, rather scarce.

''Specification:'' 26.96 g, 0.900 fine silver, .780 troy oz ASW, 38.1 mm diameter.

''Catalog reference:'' KM-Y-A25.3; JNDA 01-10A. 

''[[Bibliography|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.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, ''The August 2020 ANA Auction: World Coins, featuring the Duke of Lansing Collection,'' Santa Ana, CA: [http://www.stacksbowers.com Stack's Bowers LLC], 2020. 

''Link to:''
* [[Japan 1887 (M20) yen|1887 yen]]
* [[Japan 1888 (M21) sen|1888 sen]]
* [[Japan 1888 (M21) 10 sen|1888 10 sen]]
* [[Japan 1888 (M21) 5 yen|1888 5 yen]]
* [[Japan 1889 (M22) yen|1889 yen]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1888]]

[[Category:Selections from the Stack's Bowers 2020 ANA sale]][[Category:Silver crowns of Asia]]