Japan’s coinage runs from hammered gold oban of the samurai era to the machine-struck yen system of 1871 and today’s commemoratives — a market where Meiji gold proofs bring six figures and chopmarked trade dollars tell the story of Asia’s silver trade. This hub maps the eras, the hunted series, and the key rarities.
Key facts
- The decimal yen system was adopted in 1871 during the Meiji era and remains the currency today (CoinsBook catalog data: “Yen (1871 – Present)”).
- Pre-modern Japan used hammered gold coinage — koban and the larger oban — during the Edo/Tokugawa period; oban examples (Keicho, Tensho, Genroku, Meireki eras, 1573–1704) have brought $84,000–$348,000 at auction (Nasdaq/GOBankingRates roundup of 2021 Pinnacle Collection results).
- The flagship imperial gold coin is the 20 yen piece, first issued in 1870 (Meiji Year 3) and struck sporadically to 1892: .900 fine gold, 33.3333 g, ~35.06 mm, with a dragon on the obverse and a sunburst over the sacred mirror on the reverse (currency catalog data). A Year 10 (1877) 20 yen realized $840,000 at auction (Nasdaq roundup).
- Japan entered the Asian silver-trade competition with its own Trade Dollar, struck 1875–1877 (Meiji years 8–10): 27.22 g, .900 silver, marked “420 GRAINS. TRADE DOLLAR.900 FINE” (CoinsBook Y#14; Provident Metals).
- The great conditional rarity of the series is the 1880 (Meiji Year 13) proof coinage — a 20-yen proof with an original mintage of 103 (fewer than 10 believed extant) led a Heritage sale of the set at $305,500 (Numismatic News).