Japan 1885 (M18) 50 sen

Heritage sale 3042, lot 30135

photo courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

This specimen was lot 30135 in Heritage sale 3042 (Long Beach, September 2015), where it sold for $705. The catalog description^[1] noted, "Meiji 50 Sen Year 18 (1885) MS62 NGC. Featuring a lustrous mixture of peach and royal-blue hues that brighten otherwise steel-gray surfaces. A streak of darker tone is noticeable across both the obverse and reverse design elements and light handling accounts for the grade designation. An altogether lovely, Mint-State representative of this better date in the series." This type, roughly equal to a half dollar, was issued 1873-80, 1885 and 1897-1905. The later dates are common.

Recorded mintage: 409,920--a scarce date but not the key.

Specification: 13.48 g, 0.900 fine silver, 30.5 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM-Y25.

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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World Coin Auction 3042, featuring the Read and Bob Bennett Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2015.

Link to:

• 1874 50 sen
• 1884 yen
• 1885 ½ sen
• 1885 sen
• 1885 10 sen
• 1885 yen
• 1898 50 sen
• Coins and currency dated 1885
• return to coins of Japan