1 yen coin

Smallest denomination of the Japanese yen currency previously issued paper currency of the same denomination 1 yen note Japan One yen 1 Japanese yen 1 20 Smooth 100% Al(current) 1871–present 1yen_showa64_reverse.jpg Young tree with the words "Japan" above and "1 Yen" below 1955 1yen_showa64_obverse.jpg "1" in a circle with year of issue in kanjiShowa era year 64 (1989) 1955 The 1-yen coin 一円硬貨 Ichi-en kōka yes is the smallest denomination of the Japanese yen currency. Historically they were initially made of both silver and gold in the early 1870s. Issues facing the Japanese government at the time included wanting to adopt the gold standard, and competing against the Mexican dollar for use in foreign trade. The decision was made to use silver one yen coins exclusively outside of Japan for trade, while gold coins were minted and used in mainland Japan. Gold and silver coins were eventually allowed to co-circulate in mainland Japan from 1878 to 1897 when they were demonetized. Millions of former one yen silver coins were countermarked by the Japanese government for use outside of the mainland. Silver one yen coins continued to be minted until 1914 for backing up currency. One yen coins were not made again until after World War II in the late 1940s for a brief period of time. The current one yen coin design was first minted in 1955, is made up of pure aluminum, and has a young tree design which has been used since. Between 2011 and 2013 and from 2016 to 2026, production of the coin was confined to mint sets due to lack of demand caused by increased usage of electronic money. Mass production was restarted in July 2026 to replenish the increasingly worn out coins in circulation and self-checkout machines.Watanabe Hiroshi ja:ピカピカの一円玉流通へ　11年ぶり量産、キャッシュレス化で減少もセルフレジ釣り銭需要 "Shiny new one-yen coins to enter circulation: Mass production for the first time in 11 years, despite decreased demand for change at self-checkout registers due to the shift towards cashless payments." https://www.sankei.com/article/20260714-3G4RMZOF3JC2PNY3WA7MJPT2ZE/ The Sankei Shimbun Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. 18 July 2026 History Early yen (1870–1914) The first Japanese one-yen coins were minted between 1871 and 1872 using both silver and gold alloys.https://books.google.com/books?id=YU4QgEbad8kC&dq=1+yen+coin+1870&pg=RA13-PA10 Japan Report University of Wisconsin Consulate General of Japan 1964 10https://books.google.com/books?id=R_R7KkL4VeUC&q=1+yen+coin+1870+san+francisco The Coin Collector's Journal Edouard Frossard Scott and Company 1878 3 40 This came at a time when a new decimal system was put into place, and a modern mint was established at Osaka. The yen was officially adopted by the Meiji government in an act signed on June 27, 1871.A. Piatt Andrew, Quarterly Journal of Economics, "The End of the Mexican Dollar", 18:3:321–356, 1904, p. 345 While silver one yen coins are dated 1870, this indicates their mintage date at the San Francisco Mint as the coins were not issued until the following year.https://books.google.com/books?id=SqEGmyv9raIC&dq=1+yen+san+francisco&pg=RA4-PA16 Silver Coins of Japan John Polhumus Catalogues of United States and Foreign Coins, Medals, Etc 1878 16 Gold one yen coins dated 1871 were not minted until 1872 at the newly formed Osaka mint. No silver one yen coins were struck in 1873 as the year was devoted to turning out gold pieces domestically.https://books.google.com/books?id=HAxFAQAAMAAJ&dq=1+yen+coin+1873&pg=RA1-PA310 Monetary System of Japan Report and Accompanying Documents of the United States Monetary Commission U.S. Government Printing Office 1877 297 & 298 The exclusive minting of gold coins during this time was reflective of the Japanese government's wish to switch to the gold standard in order to keep up with countries in North America and Europe.https://antique-marks.com/collecting-silver-yen.html Collecting Japanese Silver Yen: The Dragon Yen 1870-1914 Antique Marks August 5, 2016 The Japanese government eventually came to the conclusion that issuing silver one yen coins alongside standard gold coins was in the best interest of foreign trade. Silver one yen coinage was resumed in 1874 for use outside of Japan to compete with the silver Mexican dollar.https://books.google.com/books?id=EeFuAAAAMAAJ&dq=one+yen+Gin&pg=PA326 Japan by the Japanese Alfred Stead W. Heinemann 1904 326 During the same year gold bullion rose to a slight premium which caused gold coin production as a whole to rapidly fall off. It was reported in the Quarterly Journal of Economics that by 1876 more gold coins were exported to foreign countries than for use domestically.https://books.google.com/books?id=oLQHAQAAMAAJ&q=10+yen+coin+struck+1871+Osaka&pg=PA153 Monetary Changes in Japan The Quarterly Journal of Economics Harvard University 1898 154–155 Gold coinage finally came to an end in 1877 as the Japanese government was forced off the gold standard due to the cost of the Satsuma Rebellion.https://books.google.com/books?id=XbVAAQAAMAAJ&q=10+yen+gold+1877 帝国現代縱横史 Period Research Group 3 1918 150HA1880 One yen gold coins were only struck in 1880 as part of presentation sets. These were given as gifts for visiting dignitaries and heads of state.https://coins.ha.com/itm/japan/meiji-proof-gold-1-yen-year-13-1880-/a/3015-24371.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115 Meiji Proof gold 1 Yen Year 13 (1880) Heritage Auctions November 30, 2020 Japan ultimately chose to go with a bimetallic standard in 1878, which gave the one yen silver coin legal tender status throughout the country.https://books.google.com/books?id=ssmT4RoLLQUC&dq=Japan+trade+dollar+gin+1897&pg=PA485 Gold Standard in International Trade U.S. Government Printing Office 1905 485 From 1878 to 1897, large amounts of one yen coins were struck as the declining price of silver increased their demand. The fluctuations over the price of silver eventually made trade with Europe and the United States unreliable. After years of advisement, the Japanese government officially switched back to the gold standard on October 1, 1897 as a solution to the trading problem. Silver one yen coins were thus officially demonetized with granted leeway time until July 31, 1898 for those wanting to trade the coins for gold.https://books.google.com/books?id=ywR7HXjTU9QC&q=Japan%20gold%20standard%20October%201897 New Coinage law of Japan Sound Currency Sound Currency Committee of the Reform Club 1899 28 & 29 The remaining silver coins in circulation were then either melted down to provide bullion for subsidiary coins, or were countermarked "Gin" for use in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, Korea, and Lüshunkou.Krause, Chester L. and Mishler, Clifford: 1996 Standard Catalog of World Coins (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 0-87341-357-1), p. 1370.https://books.google.com/books?id=XNRM8bIFsScC&q=countermarked+with+the+character+Gin+(meaning+... Collecting world coins: a full century of circulating issues Colin R. Bruce, Marian Moe Krause Publications 1995 1949 9780873414227 Silver one yen coins were not stuck again until 1901 when they served as a reserve fund for "Bank of Formosa" notes.https://books.google.com/books?id=gUY8AQAAMAAJ&dq=japan+silver+yen+1901&pg=PA354 Appletons' Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events Cornell University D. Appleton & Company 1903 354 Due to the fluctuations in price between silver and gold, this practice came to an end in 1904.https://books.google.com/books?id=hxs-AQAAMAAJ&dq=silver+one+yen+1903+formosa&pg=PA256 The Bank of Taiwan Japan As It Is Kokusai Tsushin-Sha 1915 256 The production of silver one yen coins eventually ended in 1914 during the 3rd year of Emperor Taishō's reign. Modern yen (1948–) Japanese coinage was reformed in 1948 with the issue of a brass one-yen coin. 451,170,000 coins were minted until production stopped in 1950.Collecting World Coins 10th edition Chester L. Krause & Clifford Mishler Krause Publications 432 The obverse of these brass coins features a numeral "1" with "Japan" above, and the date below, while the reverse reads "One Yen" with a floral pattern below it. The current aluminum coin was first introduced in 1955 with a floral design. The obverse has a young tree, intended to symbolize the healthy growth of Japan. The reverse side of the coin has a figure "1" in a circle that represents one yen; below the digit is the year of issue which is written in kanji.https://www.mint.go.jp/eng/kids-eng/eng_kids_circulating_c.html 1-yen Aluminum Coin Japan Mint August 5, 2016 The one yen coin remains the oldest modern denomination coin with an unchanged design; throughout its minting history during the Showa era the coin was fully halted only once in 1968 due to excessive production.https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00037/ Japanese Coins www.nippon.com December 6, 2015 August 2, 2016 In 1989 a national consumption tax (set at 3%) was put into place resulting in many prices that were not multiples of 5 or 10 yen, causing the Japan Mint to produce one yen coins in huge amounts.https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/16/business/financial-markets/demand-1-coins-dampened-e-money-tax-hike/#.XLCUGOSWy70 Demand for lowly ¥1 coin sinks as consumers take to cashless transactions Japan Times JiJi September 16, 2018 April 12, 2019 This consumption tax rate was raised in 1997 to 5%, reducing demand for the coin. By the turn of the century other factors such as rising metal costs and increasing usage of electronic money began to come into play. It was reported in 2003 that it cost 13 yen for the mint to produce a rolled plateMetal is melted down into ingots that are then rolled into plates to the thickness of the desired coin, the blanks are then punched out of the plates.https://www.mint.go.jp/eng/operations-eng/production-eng/production-aproach-eng/eng_operations_coin_process01.html Coin Production Process 1 Japan Mint April 12, 2019 for one yen coins. The rising price of aluminum had started to generate a commercial loss for the Japan Mint.http://www.murc.jp/thinktank/economy/archives/investigativereport_2005/archive_20030512.pdf 景気対策を目的とした政府貨幣増発の帰結 www.murc.jp Japanese August 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083741/http://www.murc.jp/thinktank/economy/archives/investigativereport_2005/archive_20030512.pdf March 4, 2016 dead In 2009, unsuccessful measures that included raising money from the private sector were tried in order to lower the cost.https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDJ1900X_R20C11A5000000/ 1円玉原価割れも 金属値上がりでおカネづくり一苦労 www.nikkei.com Japanese August 1, 2016 From 2011 to 2013 the Ministry of Finance stopped issuing new one yen coins for circulation. There was a small production run of 500,000 to 700,000 coins in mint sets for coin collectors.https://www.numismaticnews.net/article/end-of-road-for-japans-1-yen-coin End of road for Japan's 1-yen coin Richard Giedroyc Numismatic News October 29, 2018 April 14, 2019 Production resumed in 2014 when the consumption tax was raised again to 8%, causing sums to be less rounded.https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00378/e-money-uptake-brings-%C2%A51-coin-production-to-near-standstill.html E-Money Uptake Brings ¥1 Coin Production to Near Standstill Nippon.com February 1, 2019 April 14, 2019 The cost of producing each one yen coin was reported to be 3 yen as early as 2015.http://mcha-jp.com/15710 Understanding the Yen: Bills and Coins Matcha magazine Lester Somera December 8, 2015 August 5, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160818012140/http://mcha-jp.com/15710 August 18, 2016 dead mdy-all In the following year, more cashless transactions caused the ministry to stop issuing new one yen coins for circulation again. No coins were made from 2016 to 2026 apart from those in collectable mint sets.https://web.archive.org/web/20220625095014/https://financial-field.com/living/entry-146571 June 25, 2022 https://financial-field.com/living/entry-146571 作るのに3円かかるらしい1円玉。発行年の新しいものがめったに見られないワケとは？ Shinichi Ueno Financial Field Japanese June 22, 2022 December 8, 2022 In July 2026, it was reported that the Mint had resumed mass production of 1-yen coins to replace those in current circulation that had worn out. These were the first circulating 1-yen coins to bear the name of the Reiwa era (Reiwa 8). One-yen coins have also seen non monetary usage; since all 1-yen coins weigh just one gram, they are sometimes used as weights. If placed carefully on the surface of still water, 1-yen coins will not break surface tension and thus can also float.https://www.stippy.com/japan-life/fate-of-the-1-yen-coin/ The Fate of the 1 Yen Coin – When will it lose its lustre in Japan? www.stippy.com June 24, 2012 August 2, 2016 Elimination proposal & public opinion On February 25, 2021 CDP leader Kenta Izumi proposed to abolish 1 and 5-yen coins due to the fee involved with depositing them at banks. Izumi's issue was that a fee of 550 yen is incurred at most major banks for deposits involving 101 coins or more.https://web.archive.org/web/20220130165209/https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/articles/-/515891 January 30, 2022 https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/articles/-/515891 1円玉と5円玉「役割終えている」 国会で論戦 立民の泉政調会長「さい銭多い神社が苦労」 Kyoto News February 26, 2021 Taro Aso, who was at the time the Minister of Finance pushed back on the notion stating "we have no plans to abolish it immediately" as there is a demand for small value transactions. It was reported in October 2017 that one yen coins remained popular in places like Osaka, where the coins are traditionally used for these types of merchant transactions.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/osaka-s-1-yen-sales-attract-shoppers-but-may-undercut-inflation Osaka's 1-Yen Sales Attract Shoppers But May Undercut Inflation Masahiro Hidaka Bloomberg October 25, 2017 November 5, 2017 According to correspondent Leo Lewis of the Financial Times, the overall use of cash will not be "broken easily" in Japan. Lewis says that elderly Japanese people have not been eager for innovation, and conditions such as "low street crime, low interest rates and a reduced threshold on inheritance tax" remain in place that increase the appeal of carrying cash.https://www.ft.com/content/45b796f0-1260-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e Japan's cash addiction will not be easily broken Leo Lewis Financial Times January 9, 2019 April 14, 2019 Types and specifications thumb|Modern 1-yen aluminum coins weigh exactly 1 gram each and can float on water due to surface tension. Year(s) Material Diameter Mass Gold 1871https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-9-yr.41871-cuid-1168896-duid-1449727 Yr.4(1871) Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019 90% gold, 10% copper 13.5 mm 1.67 g 1874, 1876–1877, 1880, 1892https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-9a-yr.101877-yr.91876-cuid-1171064-duid-1449646 Japan Yen Y# 9a Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019 90% gold, 10% copper 12 mm 1.67 g Silver 1870–1874https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-5.1-yr.31870-cuid-1166638-duid-1451639 Yr.3(1870) Type I Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-a25.1-yr.71874-cuid-1168897-duid-1449391 Yr.7(1874) Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019 90% silver, 10% copper 38.5 mm 26.96 g 1874–1887https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-a25.2-yr.111878-yr.81875-cuid-1171066-duid-1451943 Japan Yen Y# A25.2 Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019 90% silver, 10% copper 38.6 mm 26.96 g 1888–1914https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-a25.3-yr.191886-yr.451912-cuid-1132852-duid-1449729 Japan Yen Y# A25.3 Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-38-yr.31914-cuid-1132853-duid-1442729 Japan Yen Y# 38 Yr.3(1914) Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019 90% silver, 10% copper 38.1 mm 26.96 g Modern 1948–1950https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-70-yr.231948-yr.251950-cuid-1132169-duid-1443462 Japan Yen Y# 70 Yr.23(1948) Numismatic Guaranty Corporation March 25, 2019 Brass 19.5 mm 3.2 g 1955–present 100% aluminum 20.0 mm 1.0 g Circulation figures Meiji The following are circulation figures for the coins minted between the 3rd and the 45th and last year of Emperor Meiji's reign. Coins for this period all begin with the Japanese symbol 明治 (Meiji). One yen trade dollars, minor varieties, and patterns are not included here. Countermarked yen ("Gin") are included in the original mintage totals. Inscriptions on Japanese coins from this period are read clockwise from right to left: "Year" ← Number representing year of reign ← Emperor's name (e.g. 年 ← 五十三 ← 治明) Gold thumb|right|1 yen gold coin from 1874 (year 7)(one design used) Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage 04 4th 四 1871 1,841,288 07 7th 七 1874 116,341 09 9th 九 1876 138 10th 十 1877 7,246 13th 三十 1880 112HA1880 25th 五十二 1892 Not circulated1892twos Several unique coins dated 1892 are known to have been produced to display at the World's Columbian Exposition.https://coins.ha.com/itm/japan/japan-meiji-gold-proof-10-yen-year-4-1871-pr66-cameo-ngc-/a/3056-30393.s Japan: Meiji gold Proof 10 Yen Year 4 (1871) PR66 Cameo Heritage Auctions August 19, 2020 While there are no known existing examples of one yen gold coins dated 1892 (year 25), they are mentioned by Krause Publications.https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/japan-yen-y-9a-yr.101877-yr.91876-cuid-1171064-duid-1450046 Yr.25(1892) None struck for circulation Numismatic Guaranty Corporation June 3, 2019 Silver thumb|right|1 yen silver coin from 1870 (year 3)Design 1 - (1870) thumb|right|1 yen silver coin from 1874 (year 7)Design 2 - (1874–1914The second and final silver coin design was also used during Taishō's reign.) Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage 03 3rd 三 1870 (All types)These coins were struck in 1871 using three different major varieties. 3,685,049 07 7th 七 1874 942,006 08 8th 八 1875 139,323 11th 一十 1878 856,378 12th 二十 1879 1,913,318 13th 三十 1880 5,247,432 14th 四十 1881 2,927,409 15th 五十 1882 5,089,064 16th 六十 1883 3,636,678 17th 七十 1884 3,599,192 18th 八十 1885 4,296,620 19th 九十 1886 9,084,262 20th 十二 1887 8,275,787 21st 一十二 1888 9,477,414 22nd 二十二 1889 9,295,348 23rd 三十二 1890 7,292,877 24th 四十二 1891 7,518,021 25th 五十二 1892 (Early variety)Two different main varieties exist for coins dated 1892, both of which have to do with the dragon design present on the obverse side of the coin. The first is known as the "early variety" where the dragon's flame extends between the fourth and fifth spine. 11,187,613 25th 五十二 1892 (Late variety)The second variety is known as the "late variety" where the flame overlaps the third spine of the dragon. 26th 六十二 1893 10,403,477 27th 七十二 1894 22,118,416 28th 八十二 1895 21,098,754 29th 九十二 1896 11,363,949 30th 十三 1897 2,448,694 34th 四十三 1901 1,256,252 35th 五十三 1902 668,782 36th 六十三 1903 5,131,096 37th 七十三 1904 6,970,843 38th 八十三 1905 5,031,503 39th 九十三 1906 3,471,297 41st 一十四 1908 334,705 45th 五十四 1912 5,000,000 Taishō The following is a circulation figure for coins that were minted during the 3rd year of Taishō's reign. Coins from this period all begin with the Japanese symbol 大正 (Taishō). This was the final year one yen coins were minted in silver, and is a one year type. Inscriptions on Japanese coins from this period are read clockwise from right to left: "Year" ← Number representing year of reign ← Emperor's name (Ex: 年 ← 三十 ← 正大) Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage 3rd 三 1914 11,500,000 Shōwa thumb|right|1 yen coin from 1948 (year 23)Design 1 (1948 - 1950) thumb|right|1 yen coin from 1955 (year 30)Design 2 (1955 - 1989) The following are circulation dates which cover Emperor Showa's (Hirohito's) reign. The dates below correspond to the 23rd to the 64th (last) years of his reign. Inscriptions on coins for this period all begin with the kanji characters 昭和 (Shōwa). These coins are read from left to right: Emperor's name → Number representing year of reign → "Year" (Ex: 昭和 → 六十二 → 年). Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintagehttps://www.mint.go.jp/media/2026/02/nenmeibetsu_r7.pdf 年銘別貨幣製造枚数【令和7年銘】 Japan Mint Japanese February 10, 2026mintage Mintages on the Japan Mint website are in thousands 23rd 二十三 1948 (Brass) 451,170,000 24th 二十四 1949 (Brass) 25th 二十五 1950 (Brass) 30th ja 三十 1955 381,700,000 31st ja 三十一 1956 500,900,000 32nd ja 三十二 1957 492,000,000 33rd ja 三十三 1958 374,900,000 34th ja 三十四 1959 208,600,000 35th ja 三十五 1960 300,000,000 36th ja 三十六 1961 432,400,000 37th ja 三十七 1962 572,000,000 38th ja 三十八 1963 788,700,000 39th ja 三十九 1964 1,665,100,000 40th ja 四十 1965 1,743,256,000 41st ja 四十一 1966 807,344,000 42nd ja 四十二 1967 220,600,000 44th ja 四十四 1969 184,700,000 45th ja 四十五 1970 556,400,000 46th ja 四十六 1971 904,950,000 47th ja 四十七 1972 1,274,950,000 48th ja 四十八 1973 1,470,000,000 49th ja 四十九 1974 1,750,000,000 50th ja 五十 1975 1,656,150,000 51st ja 五十一 1976 928,850,000 52nd ja 五十二 1977 895,000,000 53rd ja 五十三 1978 864,000,000 54th ja 五十四 1979 1,015,000,000 55th ja 五十五 1980 1,145,000,000 56th ja 五十六 1981 1,206,000,000 57th ja 五十七 1982 1,017,000,000 58th ja 五十八 1983 1,086,000,000 59th ja 五十九 1984 981,850,000 60th ja 六十 1985 837,150,000 61st ja 六十一 1986 417,960,000 62nd ja 六十二 1987 955,775,000 63rd ja 六十三 1988 1,269,042,000 64th ja 六十四 1989 116,100,000 Heisei thumb|A one-yen coin of the Heisei era, year 18 (2006) The following are circulation dates during the reign of Emperor Akihito, the Heisei era, who reigned from 1989 until his abdication in April 2019. The first year of his reign is marked with a 元 symbol on the coin as a one year type. Coins for this period all begin with the kanji characters 平成 (Heisei). One-yen coins dated between 2011 and 2013 were only released in mint sets. Mintage was briefly resumed in 2014 only for it to be halted again in 2016. No one yen coins were released for circulation for the remainder of the Heisei era. These coins are read with from left to right: Emperor's name → Number representing year of reign → "Year" (e.g. 平成 → 九 → 年). Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintagemintage 01 1st ja 元 1989 2,366,970,000 02 2nd ja 二 1990 2,768,953,000 03 3rd ja 三 1991 2,301,120,000 04 4th ja 四 1992 1,299,130,000 05 5th ja 五 1993 1,261,240,000 06 6th ja 六 1994 1,040,767,000 07 7th ja 七 1995 1,041,874,000 08 8th ja 八 1996 942,213,000 09 9th ja 九 1997 783,086,000 10th ja 十 1998 452,612,000 11th ja 十一 1999 67,120,000 12th ja 十二 2000 12,026,000 13th ja 十三 2001 8,024,000 14th ja 十四 2002 9,667,000 15th ja 十五 2003 117,406,000 16th ja 十六 2004 52,903,000 17th ja 十七 2005 30,029,000 18th ja 十八 2006 129,594,000 19th ja 十九 2007 223,904,000 20th ja 二十 2008 134,811,000 21st ja 二十一 2009 48,003,000 22nd ja 二十二 2010 7,905,000 23rd ja 二十三 2011 fn6 These coins were sold exclusively in mint and proof sets.Kageyama Ryo 2024-04-27 製造は激減、数千分の1になった「1円玉の今」 造幣局に聞いた…それでも続く「普段使いじゃないニーズ」 https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1138664 https://web.archive.org/web/20240512100606/https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1138664 2024-05-12 2024-11-07 TBS NEWS DIG Japan News Network ja Their respective mintages are mentioned in those two articles. 24th ja 二十四 2012 fn6 25th ja 二十五 2013 fn6 26th ja 二十六 2014 124,013,000 27th ja 二十七 2015 82,004,000 28th ja 二十八 2016 fn6 Reiwa The following are dates in the reign of the current Emperor. Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019 and he was formally enthroned on October 22, 2019. Coins for this period all begin with the kanji characters 令和 (Reiwa). The inaugural year coin (2019) was marked 元 (first) and debuted during the summer of that year.https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190403/p2a/00m/0na/013000c Reiwa coins to debut summer 2019 mainichi.jp June 3, 2019 From 2019 to 2025 one-yen coins were sold exclusively in mint and proof sets. These coins are read from left to right: Emperor's name → Number representing year of reign → Year (e.g. 令和 → 元 → 年). Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintagemintage 8th ja 八 2026 TBD Collecting The value of any given coin is determined by survivability rate and condition as collectors in general prefer uncleaned appealing coins. One-yen coins are broken down into those struck in a gold alloy, and those struck in a silver alloy. Gold one-yen coins dated 1871 (year 4 of Meiji) are the most abundant as they have a mintage of almost 2 million coins. Two varieties were made this year that feature a "high" or "low" dot. Of these two, 1871 "low dot" coins are valued more compared to their "high dot" counterparts. Outside of this first year of issue, The Numismatist describes one-yen gold coins dated 1874 as "very rare" and the rest (1876 to 1892) as "extremely rare".https://books.google.com/books?id=J1JmAAAAMAAJ&q=1+yen+gold+1874 Meiji 1 Yen Gold The Numismatist 106 1993 1535 One-yen gold coins dated 1880 (year 13) were never intended for circulation as they were part of presentation sets. It's now estimated that only 4 to 5 examples survived out of their original mintage of 112, one of which sold at auction in 2011 for $97,750 (USD).https://www.coinworld.com/news/world-coins/jacobs-collection-stuns-nets-6-8-million.html Jacobs Collection stuns, nets $6.8 million Jeff Starck Coin World September 29, 2011 August 28, 2023 Silver one-yen coins were minted for a longer duration which is almost entirely confined to the Meiji era. Coins dated 1870 (year 3 of Meiji) were struck in 1871 and feature at least 3 varieties when it comes to strokes in the old character for yen (圓).https://www.starcityhomer.com/yen-obsolete.html Japan 1870-1950 (obsolete) Star City Homer August 28, 2023 This first year of issue is now "rare" in any grade as many became worn from circulation or were chop-marked by merchants.https://www.ngccoin.com/resources/counterfeit-detection/top/world/20/ 20. Japan M3 (1870) Yen Numismatic Guaranty Corporation August 28, 2023 The next few years of minting from 1874 to 1878 (year 7, 8, and 11) to saw a drop off in mintage numbers. In terms of rarity coins dated 1875 (year 8 of Meiji) are the rarest with just over 130,000 coins struck. These have a catalog value of over $5,000 (USD) in VF (very fine) condition. The legal tender status of one-yen silver coins for domestic use came to an end on July 31, 1898. All of the silver one-yen coins minted from 1871 to 1897 were subsequently kept away by the public, melted down by the Japanese government to provide bullion for subsidiary coins, or were countermarked "Gin" for use in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, Korea, and Lüshunkou. There are a few dates; 1901 (year 34), 1902 (year 35), and 1908 (year 41) which have mintages below a million that are worth a premium. Counterfeiters have since taken advantage of collectors by targeting one-yen silver coins both rare and common. According to Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, Meiji era one-yen silver coins are "usually well struck with sharp details". Counterfeits on the other hand tend to have "details that are less sharp and more rounded". Dates targeted include 1870 (year 3), which is on NGC's top 25 list of most commonly found counterfeited world coins. Other cases include one in 2015 where a far more common 1891 (Meiji 24) date was deemed fake by ANACS.https://www.coinworld.com/news/world-coins/fake-1891-japanese-yen-fahey.html Fake 1891 Japanese yen identified by ANACS Michael Fahey Coin World December 23, 2015 August 28, 2023 Counterfeiters do their best to seize upon any opportunity they can to make money. More commonly found dates are included as some collectors may let their guard down around them.https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/10113/counterfeit-detection-1891-japanese-yen/#:~:text=First%2C%20its%20luster%20does%20not,o'clock%20on%20the%20obverse. Counterfeit Detection: 1891 Japanese Yen Numismatic Guaranty Corporation April 21, 2022 August 28, 2023 Careful buying, and seeking authentication from grading services is recommended.https://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins.pl?coin=1634 Japan Yen (Counterfeit) 1874 to 1912 Coin Quest August 28, 2023https://japan.antique-coin.info/meiji1yen/ The Value and Purchase Price of Meiji 1 Yen Silver Coins Antique Coin Japanese August 28, 2023 Notes References External links Japan Money Numismatics Circulating coin list -Japan Mint. Category:Japanese yen coins Category:One-base-unit coins Category:Currencies of Japan