Old twenty-yen gold coin
AD 1870 (dated Meiji 3) ・ gold ・ 19th century ・ Osaka, the Zōheiryō mint
The highest denomination gold coin established by the New Coinage Act of Meiji 4 (1871). The date on the coin in the photograph is 'Meiji 3'. The date on the coin and the first year of issue for this type should be read separately.
According to the catalog of the Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan, the old 20-yen gold coin has a diameter of 35.06 millimeters, a weight of 33.3 grams, and a fineness of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper. These are the specifications for the coin type, not the measured and analyzed values of the specific coin in the photograph.
Under the New Coinage Act, one yen was made equivalent to 1.5 grams of pure gold. This coin is an example from which one can learn how the face value of 20 yen was linked to the amount of gold it contained.
Basic Information
| Type of coin | |
|---|---|
| Issuing authority | Osaka, the Zōheiryō mint |
| Period | AD 1870 (dated Meiji 3) |
| Material | gold |
| Face value | 20 Yen |
| The specimen photographed | |
| Collection | National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution |
| Accession number | 掲載画像との対応を未照合 |
| Photographer | National Numismatic Collection |
| Terms of Use | Public domain |
| Open photo source → | |
