Japanese Coins... Took The Plunge!

For less than a dollar per coin, that's pretty decent

Nice! I am unsure what the grades of many of the coins would be, but I am attempting to complete a Japan Dansco type set as well and haven't gotten to some of those older, yet cheaper coins yet. Trying to work on some of the more expensive ones like the Meiji era Yen coins. Have 2 out of 3 so far! Have fun!

The problem with "pile of coins" lots, is that you don't know what is underneath. The seller could put low value coins in a pile and then cover them up with more desirable coins.

Let us know how you made out when they arrive.

From the same seller if anyone wants to bite:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japan-old-c...100408.m2460

Looks like a whole bunch of 1930s-40s 5 or 10 sen looped together, and more Chinese cash than the last, but I see a 5 rin that doesn't show up very often, plus some really nice "rising sun" sen and a few 4 mon coins.

Will have to double check what all I need but will keep you in mind good sir! Keep us updated on what you get I always wondered how the "2+ pounds" sort of listings turn out for the people who buy them.

I keep a lookout every once in a while on graded early Japan copper. A couple awesome deals I found were here. Also I have compromised to get my two Meiji Yen coins as problem ones. One with a small hole and the other possibly cleaned but just went cheaper than most I see on sale. Keep a watchful eye and deals with find you! :)

https://goccf.com/t/246244&SearchTerms=japan

Got them in the mail yesterday! I was able to sort them by type and will go through to cherry pick as time allows. Most of the coins were aluminum or zinc, so there were a LOT of coins for that 2.2 pounds!

Here is a readout of what was included, in order of most to least:

50 sen, small type 1947-48 (probably 75+, grades F to XF)

10 sen, 1944 zinc type (50+)

10 sen, 1940-43 aluminum type (25-50)

10 sen, post-war aluminum 1945-46 (30+)

5 sen, post-war aluminum type 1945-46 (30+)

1 sen, imperial crest bronze Taisho/Showa (25+)

1 sen, bird design aluminum 1938-40 (25+)

1 sen, Mt Fuji aluminum 1941-43 (25+)

5 sen, aluminum war type 1941-43 (20+)

1 sen, 1944 zinc type (20+ and most ruined by zinc rot)

1 yen, 1949 bronze type (20+)

10 yen, Taisho/Showa sacred mirror type (10+)

1 sen, Meiji dragon (5-10)

5 sen, 1944 zinc (5)

1 sen, bird design large bronze 1938 (4)

1/2 sen, Meiji dragon (3)

5 yen, pigeon/ temple design 1948-49 (3)

10 sen, bronze waves design (3)

10 sen, holed nickel early WWII (3)

50 sen, large bronze 1937 (3)

5 sen, bronze waves design (2)

5 sen, WWII zinc 1944 (2)

5 sen, Taisho/Showa sacred mirror (2)

2 sen, Meiji dragon (1)

1 sen, Taisho rising sun (beautiful chocolate toned XF/AU)

Lot also contained a handful (10ish) of 1 and 4 mon coins, one that I need to work to ID, and a French IndoChina 1/4 cent.

So between this lot and the coins I already have, I believe I have an *entire* type coin set of Showa 1926-1989 (excluding commemoratives and patterns) and a good chunk of Meiji and Taisho. Now to sell the duplicates to have fodder for the silver

The 1945-1950 coinage seems to be tricky. They all have high (100M+) mintages, and each design was in place for only 1-3 years before being pulled and replaced. They do not circulate and will never show up in a "foreign exchange" lot, and hardcore collectors of Japanese coins don't really collect them.

The zinc coins I think will be some real sleepers for the series. Based on the level of zinc rot, I think that preserved specimens may command some real premiums in another few decades. I'll post some pictures--the one sen coins are so ugly that I could sell them as "Salvaged from a crashed Zero in the Pacific" on ebay.