10 sen coin

The 10 sen coin (十銭硬貨) was a Japanese coin worth one tenth of a Japanese yen, as 100 sen equalled 1 yen.[1] These coins were minted from the late 19th century up until the end of World War II.

Ten Sen
Japan
Value​ 1⁄10 Japanese Yen
Shapecircular
CompositionSeveral different metals
Years of minting1870–1946
Obverse
DesignVarious, depending on year.
Reverse
DesignVarious, depending on year.

History

Ten sen coins were first minted in 1870, and like the other sen coins were made for international convenience. The Japanese government bought a mint in Hong Kong, and the machinery was established in Osaka. In The British Almanac from 1873, author John Crowdy notes that the Japanese put a lot more thought into convenience than the German Empire.[2] These coins were minted during eight periods that spanned three different imperial eras. Two different varieties were produced in 1940, 1941, and 1943 when the coin was ultimately reduced in size. At the end of World War II, aluminium coins were produced from late 1945 into 1946. The final ten-sen coins were produced in 1946, and were eventually taken out of circulation at the end of 1953.[3]

Composition
Years Material
1870–1906[4][5]80% silver, 20% copper
1907–1918[5][6][7]72% silver, 28% copper
1920–1932[8][9]75% Copper, 25% Nickel
1933–1937[8][10]100% Nickel
1938–1940[8][11]95% Copper, 5% Aluminium
1940–1943[8][12]100% Aluminium
1944[8][13]93% Tin, 7% Zinc
1945–1946[8][14]100% Aluminium

Circulation figures

Meiji

The following are circulation figures for ten sen coins that were minted between the 3rd, and the 45th year of Meiji's reign. The dates all begin with the Japanese symbol 明治 (Meiji), followed by the year of his reign the coin was minted. Each coin is read clockwise from right to left, so in the example used below "二十三" would read as "year 32" or 1899. Some of the mintages included cover more than one variety of a given coin.

  • "Year" ← "Number representing year of reign" ← "Emperors name" (Ex: 年 ← 二十三 ← 治明)
10 sen coin from 1870 (year 3)
Design 1 - (1870)
10 sen coin from 1873 (year 6)
Design 2 - (1873–1906)
10 sen coins from 1907 (year 40)
Design 3 - (1907–1912)[lower-alpha 1]
Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[6]
3rd 三 1870 Shallow scales 6,102,674[15]
3rd 三 1870 Deep scales
6th 六 1873[lower-alpha 2] 5,109,951[4]
7th 七 1874 10,221,571[4]
8th 八 1875[lower-alpha 2] 8,977,419[4]
9th 九 1876 11,890,000[4]
10th 十 1877 20,352,136[4]
13th 三十 1880 77[4]
18th 八十 1885 9,763,333[4]
20th 十二 1887 10,421,616[4]
21st 一十二 1888 8,177,229[4]
24th 四十二 1891 5,000,000[4]
25th 五十二 1892 5,000,000[4]
26th 六十二 1893 12,000,000[4]
27th 七十二 1894 11,000,000[4]
28th 八十二 1895 13,719,054[4]
29th 九十二 1896 15,080,506[4]
30th 十三 1897 20,357,439[4]
31st 一十三 1898 13,643,001[4]
32nd 二十三 1899 26,216,579[4]
33rd 三十三 1900 8,183,421[4]
34th 四十三 1901 797,561
35th 五十三 1902 1,204,439
37th 七十三 1904 11,106,638
38th 八十三 1905 34,182,194
39th 九十三 1906 4,710,168
40th 十四 1907 12,000,000
41st 一十四 1908 12,273,239
42nd 二十四 1909 20,279,846
43rd 三十四 1910 20,339,816
44th 四十四 1911 38,729,680
45th 五十四 1912 10,755,009

Taishō

The following are circulation figures for ten sen coins that were minted between the 1st and the 15th (last) year of Taishō's reign. The dates all begin with the Japanese symbol 大正 (Taishō), followed by the year of his reign the coin was minted. Each coin is read clockwise from right to left, so in the example used below "四" would read as "year 4" or 1915. Ten sen coins dated year 7 (1918) are rare, one such coin in about uncirculated condition sold for $11,500 USD in 2011.[16]

  • "Year" ← "Number representing year of reign" ← "Emperors name" (Ex: 年 ← 四 ← 正大)
A ten sen coin from 1920 (year 9)
Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[6]
1st 元 1912 10,344,307
2nd 二 1913 13,321,466
3rd 三 1914 10,325,327
4th 四 1915 16,836,225
5th 五 1916 10,324,128
6th 六 1917 35,170,906
9th 九 1920 (New design) 4,894,420
10th 十 1921 61,870,000
11th 一十 1922 159,770,000
12th 二十 1923 190,010,000
14th 四十 1925 54,475,000
15th 五十 1926 58,675,000

Shōwa
10 sen coin from 1933 (year 8)
Design 2 - (1933-1937)[lower-alpha 3]
10 sen coin from 1938 (year 13)
Design 3 - (1938-1940)
10 sen coin from 1940 (year 15)
Design 4 - (1940-1943)
10 sen coin from 1944 (year 19)
Design 5 - (1944)
10 sen coin from 1945 (year 20)
Design 6 - (1945-1946)

The following are circulation figures for ten sen coins that were minted between the 2nd, and the 21st year of Emperor Shōwa's reign. The dates all begin with the Japanese symbol 昭和 (Shōwa), followed by the year of his reign the coin was minted. Each coin is read clockwise from right to left, so in the example used below "二十" would read as "year 12" or 1937. Coin patterns that include examples struck on porcelain are not included here as they were never issued for circulation. It is unknown how many unofficial locally made clay baked coins circulated.

  • "Year" ← "Number representing year of reign" ← "Emperors name" (Ex: 年 ← 二十 ← 和昭)
Year of reign Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[6]
2nd 二 1927 36,050,000
3rd 三 1928 41,450,000
4th 四 1929 10,050,000
6th 六 1931 1,850,087
7th 七 1932 23,151,177
8th 八 1933 14,570,714
9th 九 1934 37,351,832
10th 十 1935 35,586,755
11th 一十 1936 77,948,804
12th 二十 1937 40,001,969
13th 三十 1938 46,999,990
14th 四十 1939 121,500,000
15th 五十 1940 TY1 (AB) 165,000,000
15th 五十 1940 TY2 (AL) 575,600,000
16th 六十 1941 TY1
16th 六十 1941 TY2[lower-alpha 4] 944,900,000
17th 七十 1942
18th 八十 1943
18th 八十 1943 (Reduced weight) 756,000,000
19th 九十 1944 450,000,000
20th 十二 1945 237,590,000
21st 一十二 1946

Weight and size
Minted Size Weight
1870 17.57mm 2.5g
1873-1906 17.57mm 2.7g
1907-1917 17.57mm 2.3g
1920-1932 22.12mm 3.8g
1933-1940 22.00mm 4.0g
1940-1941 22.00mm 1.5g
1941-1943 22.00mm 1.2g
1943 22.00mm 1.0g
1944 19.00mm 2.4g
1945-1946 22.00mm 1.0g

Notes
  1. The third silver based design was also used during Taishō's reign until 1918, when the alloy was adjusted.
  2. Two different types were made this year, their mintage is combined.
  3. The first design is shown above under "Taishō".
  4. Ten sen coins were minted in 1941 with weights of 1.5g, and 1.2g creating two different types for the year.

References
  1. "Japan 5, 10, 20, 50 Sen and 1 Yen (Fakes are possible) 1873 to 1900". www.coinquest.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-10. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  2. John Crowdy. "The British Almanac". Stationers' Company. p. 112-113. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  3. "小額通貨の整理及び支払金の端数計算に関する法律" [A law of the abolition of currencies in a small denomination and rounding off a fraction, July 15, 1953 Law No.60]. www.shugiin.go.jp. Archived from the original on June 28, 2002. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  4. "Japan 10 Sen Y#23 Yr.10(1877)-Yr.9(1876)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  5. "10銭銀貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  6. Chester L. Krause & Clifford Mishler. Collecting World Coins 10th edition. Krause Publications. p. 430-431.
  7. "Japan 10 Sen KM# Pn45 Yr.7 (1918)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  8. Chester L. Krause & Clifford Mishler. Collecting World Coins 10th edition. Krause Publications. p. 431.
  9. "10銭白銅貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  10. "10銭ニッケル貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  11. "10銭アルミニウム青銅貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  12. "10銭アルミニウム貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  13. "10銭錫貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  14. "10銭アルミニウム貨" (in Japanese). www.buntetsu.net. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  15. "Japan 10 Sen Y# 2 Yr.3(1870)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  16. "T7(1918) JAPAN KM-PN45 SILVER 10S MS Coin Auctions". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
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