I only have one. Picked it up a while back. Probably could say this about a number in my collection, but this is one of my favorite slabbed.. Especially since I don't have a lot of Asian coins. Originally thought the long scuff on the obverse would bother me, and obviously would rather it not be there, but it's not so bad in person. I can overlook stuff if the rest of the coin more than makes up for it. Some really cool copper / rose-gold toning. I think it's a beautiful coin.. Lots of neat Yen out there, though some can get pretty pricey. 1914 (Year 3), graded MS-62 .900 Ag, 38.1 mm diameter, 2.76 mm thickness. Mintage = 11,500,000 - who knows how many left & in what condition. Actual coin, but not my photos.. Hope you enjoy!
Yep, always neat to read about the history of particular old coins -- something that modern stuff will never be able to compete against. The high-grades / rare years (cool original toning a plus) of old Yen usually go for big bucks. All set with that.. beyond my budget. MS-62 for a common later year was all I could do, and quite happy with it. You can sometimes find them around that year/grade for a fair price. As for some counterfeits & over-paying on eBay, that's pretty much true for anything. Might pick up a 50 Sen someday, but plenty ahead of it on my wish-list..
Priorities. Also means I do without for some other pieces, but I'm cool with that. Worth it! Just have to be patient for the right coin at the right price. And yeah, wouldn't mind having a Meiji, too.
I have a meiji here are the pcgs pics and my scans and some other pre meiji stuff this is a Bu Ichibu and a 2 Shu
The Ichibu's are really cool.. But unless I'm mistaken, according to photos of slabbed ones (for size reference), they seem a bit on the small side, no?
yeh they are tiny. the 2 shu also hs the weirdest composition 1.6200 g., Gold And Silver .298 gold and .702 silver, 7.5 x 3 mm. Note: Tempo era the Ichibu is 8.6600 g., 0.9910 Silver 0.2759 oz.
I love the dragons, particularly with the dotted perimeter decoration you have to think it was inspiration for the s1 lunar dragon. I really like it. I also really like the square coins and the ceramic money. I once saw some really beautiful sliver and mother of pearl rectangular gambling tokens (looked roughly meji to me) from a traditional private gaming house at an auction once. I still wince a little when I think about having let them slip my grasp. They were stunning. If I could ever find the larger gold yen coins featuring the dragon and burning pearl at a reasonable price I would snatch them up. If anybody knows of anywhere with some nice yen for sale I'd be very interested.
Obviously depends on the year & the particular coin (toning, scratches, any cleaning, etc.). During my search for it, I was only looking at graded/slabbed stuff, mainly in low MS/high AU. If I ever go for a much earlier year, looking like I'll have to drop from that MS.. :lol: Guessing somebody else more knowledgeable might be able to assist you better. $77 might seem a little high for what you're looking for? Not all that sure. Though I also know that old Yen in at least decent condition aren't usually all that cheap, either, relatively speaking..
Remember guys these coins are on the Chinese counterfeiter's hit list. When I sent mine to be grade a well respected coin dealer sending it on my behalf was not 100 on its authenticity because the quality of the fakes is getting so good
They are expensive. Someone paid over $2000 US for this one, described as AU. But it is a trade dollar: http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/Japan_1877_(M10)_trade_dollar I only have a few. This one I paid $10 for, described as "scratched."
