Posted 10/26/2007 07:12 am
Japan made 1 yen coins in both gold and silver, but I assume (since we're talking cuff links) that it's the tiny little gold ones, rather than the dollar-sized silver coins. The silver ones don't appear to have been issued in that year, anyway.
Just a minor correction on the date: 1868 was "Year 1", not "Year zero", so Meiji Year 4 is actually 1871 AD.
According to the 1800's Krause world coin catalogue, these coins are fairly scarce in undamaged condition; they're certainly worth more than bullion value (actual gold weight 0.0482 ounces, BV only $37.40 at current prices).
There are two varieties for this coin listed in the catalogue: "high dot" and "low dot". The dot in question is the one beneath the large square character (which means "yen"). If it's down near the rim at the bottom of the coin, it's "low dot". If it's about halfway between the "yen" characer and the rim, it's "high dot". The "low dot" variety is scarcer. Catalogue values quoted are $600 for low dot and $250 for high dot, in "Fine", the worst condition this catalogue gives a value for.
I don't know how much the value is reduced by having the coin turned into jewellery; that depends in part on how commonly these coins are found like this, and is also dependant on how badly the coin was damaged when the mount was attached. Nor do I know whether or not these coins have been copied specifically for use in jewellery - "jeweller's copies" are known for several other coin series.
Just a minor correction on the date: 1868 was "Year 1", not "Year zero", so Meiji Year 4 is actually 1871 AD.
According to the 1800's Krause world coin catalogue, these coins are fairly scarce in undamaged condition; they're certainly worth more than bullion value (actual gold weight 0.0482 ounces, BV only $37.40 at current prices).
There are two varieties for this coin listed in the catalogue: "high dot" and "low dot". The dot in question is the one beneath the large square character (which means "yen"). If it's down near the rim at the bottom of the coin, it's "low dot". If it's about halfway between the "yen" characer and the rim, it's "high dot". The "low dot" variety is scarcer. Catalogue values quoted are $600 for low dot and $250 for high dot, in "Fine", the worst condition this catalogue gives a value for.
I don't know how much the value is reduced by having the coin turned into jewellery; that depends in part on how commonly these coins are found like this, and is also dependant on how badly the coin was damaged when the mount was attached. Nor do I know whether or not these coins have been copied specifically for use in jewellery - "jeweller's copies" are known for several other coin series.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
