By The Japan Mint ……
The Japanese Ministry of Finance has decided to issue a one-ounce silver coin with a face value of 1,000 yen to commemorate the 150th anniversary of railways in Japan. On October 14, 1872, a railway connecting Shimbashi Station in Tokyo to the city of Yokohama a few miles south of the capital opened to the general public. It weighs 31.1 grams and has a diameter of 40 millimeters.
There is a mintage limit of 70,000 pieces. Priced at 12,300 yen per coin, the railway commemorative will be available only through mail order to the Japan Mint, and will not be available to be exchanged at financial institutions. Sales information, including ordering procedures, will be announced on the Japan Mint website after 5:00 pm on October 4, 2022. Coins will begin shipping on October 5.
150th Anniversary of Railways Coin Design
The obverse features a design based on part of a Nishiki-e (color woodblock print) of the Takanawa Railway. This print, created by the great 19th-century printmaker Tsukioka Yoshitoshi with the help of Utagawa Toshinobu, is currently owned by the Minato City Local History Museum in Tokyo. At the top and bottom of the side is the denomination 日本国千円 (“Japan Thousand Yen”). At the time of publication, 1,000 yen is equal to about $7.50 USD.
The reverse features a design based on the restored Old Shimbashi Station, which retains the appearance of the building at the time of the railway’s opening in 1872. The legend 鉄道開業150年 (“150th Anniversary of Railway Opening”) runs clockwise across the top while the denomination 1000 YEN and the date 令和4年 (“Reiwa Year 4”) run counterclockwise along the bottom.
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About the Japan Mint
The Japan Mint is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Since it was established in 1871, the Mint has been responsible for producing coins for Japan. Today, it produces circulating coins and state-of-the-art collector coins in a variety of metals, including silver and gold.
Visit the Japan Mint’s website for more information.
