Year and Authenticity of this Japanese Yen-Help!!
erwindoc
Posts: 5,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
Please help if you know anything else about this coin(denomination, year, etc). I cant read Japanese and my book only covers the 20th century coins and I cant find it in there. Fakes are everywhere!!
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It's not a yen, it's a 50 sen. Meiji year 3/1870.
Do you have diameter/weight? I'm not sure I'm liking the granular appearance on the reverse. This is in an NGC MS-64 slab. The dragons aren't always hammered, but the reverse on yours looks a bit mushy.
and this one from the just-concluded Heritage sale (a 65 in this case...the dragon is much better struck in this one).
https://coins.ha.com/itm/japan/japan-meiji-50-sen-year-3-1870-ms65-ngc-/a/3055-38261.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116
I have neither the weight or diameter. Coin is not in hand. I saw the granular fields and wondered about its authenticity, but I have US coins from that era with similar issues. US seller with a return policy, so that makes me feel a bit better.
I don't like the reverse of the piece in the OP. To me, it feels counterfeit.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Questions asked to the seller. Thanks guys!
Especially if he is telling you it's a yen!
No, that was just me. Said 50 sen. May not matter. It will be "too small" for my crown album I think.
I'm now using a bigger screen (and wearing my glasses...when did I get so old I needed bifocals???) and I definitely don't like the reverse. The obverse has too much metal around a few of the characters. The sen is a bit indistinct.
I'd pass or if you've already bought it I'd make sure to take a careful look in hand and check the diameter/weight.
Very skeptical in terms of whether it is in fact genuine. From what I see I would say counterfeit.
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