Introduction
The copper coins discussed in earlier parts of this series were made for minor currency units. 100 USD Lincoln cents made 1 U.S. dollar, so cents was the minor unit. Likewise for Canadian cents. 100 pence made 1 GBP (UK Pound Sterling), and 50 2-pence coins also made 1 GBP. For the Australian coins, 100 cents made 1 dollar and 50 2-cent coins made 1 dollar.
Technically, there are 100 sen in 1 yen. However, in Japan it's not practical to use the minor units of currency, so the smallest coin happens to be the smallest value measured in the major unit, the JPY 01.00 coin.
While seeing Japanese coins in North America isn't an everday occurrence, it's more common than one would expect, especially in the major cities and ports. Even then, it's more as mementos of trips taken instead of trade or commerce.
Things To Know about JPY 10 Yen Coins
Face value for Japanese coins appears in 2 writing systems, kanji and Latin. The number system used is a Base 10 system, just as in Western countires.
Japanese coins don't show the face of a person, not even the emperor. This is in contrast to UK and British Commonwealth coins which bear a portrait of the ruling monarch (as of 2021, Queen Elizabeth II). It's also in contrast to U.S. coins which showed either a representation figure or a historical figure from the past.
During the last decade or more, the JPY/USD exchange rate had fluctuated 80/1 and 120/1. At the time I wrote this, it took JPY 109.58768 to make USD 1 and JPY 1 to equal USD 0.00912511.
Despite the exchange rate, the JPY/USD exchange pair is one of the most heavily traded pairs in the Foreign Exchange markets; that's the reason I was interested in the Japenese coins for several years. (I had other plans for them, but that's better explained in a Part 6, the Sidebar to this post.)
The table below shows relevant details for us regarding JPY 10.00 :
| Era (Kanji (Latin)) | Era Years | Years (Gregorian) | Weight | Composition | Copper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 昭和 (Shōwa) | 26-33 | 1951-1958 | 4.5 g | Bronze | 95% |
| 昭和 (Shōwa) | 34-64 | 1959-1989 | 4.5 g | Bronze | 95% |
| 平成 (Heisei) | 1-31 | 1989-2019 | 4.5 g | Bronze | 95% |
| 令和 (Reiwa) | 1-3+ | 2019-TBD | 4.5 g | Bronze | 95% |
The time period marked by an emperor's rule is an era which is given its own name. It was in Year 26 of the Shōwa era (1951) that the JPY 10.00 coin as we know it first appeared. The first version was a reeded-edge coin which lasted about 7 years. Going forward, JPY 10.00 coins had smooth edges.
Outside of Japan, and due to their relatively large diameter compared to the cents and pence covered earlier, it is nearly impossible to find these coins during daily living.
Comparison of JPY 10.00, AUD 1 Cent, GBP 1 penny, CAD Maple Leaf Cent, and USD Lincoln Cent
The table below compares JPY 10.00 with Australian 1 Cent, GBP 1 penny, USD Lincoln cent and CAD Maple Leaf cent:
| Category |  JPY 10.00 |
 AUD 1 Cent |
 GBP 1 penny |
 USD 1 Lincoln Cent |
 CAD Maple Leaf Cent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 1951-Present | 1966-1991 | 1971-1991 | 1909-1981 | 1937-1996 |
| Weight | 4.5 g | 2.59 g | 3.56 g g | 3.11 g | 3.24 g (1937-1979) 2.8 g (1980-1981) 2.5 g (1982-1996) |
| Copper content | 95% | 97% | 97% | 95% | 98% |
| Last full year as copper coin | TBD | 1991 | 1992 | 1981 | 1996 |
| Circulating? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Demonetized? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Final Year Minted[^] | Not Yet | 1991 | Not Yet | Not Yet | 2015 |
Only JPY 10.00 continues to be minted as a copper-based coin, while the earlier cents and pence switched over to zinc or steel composition in the last 2 decades of the 20th Century. Like USD Lincoln Cents, JPY 10.00 has a 95% copper composition, and its larger size gives it a good amount of copper.
JPY 10.00 coins have been around since 1951, at which time the Queen Elizabeth II was still a princess, the Akira Kurosawa-directed film Seven Samurai was 3 years off, and Satoshi Nakamoto was a glint in his father's eye. The North American cents, meanwhile, had already been circulating for at least 42 years. JPY 10.00 preceded AUD 1 cent by 15 years.
Of the 5 copper cents shown in the above table, copper weight for JPY 10.00 is the heaviest. Copper weight for JPY 10.00, AUD 1 cent, GBP 1 penny, and USD Lincoln cent remained stable while for CAD Maple Leaf cent it decreased two times.
At 95% copper content, JPY 10.00 joins AUD 1 cent and USD Lincoln cent for a 3rd place tie.
JPY 10.00 coins-- like GBP 1 penny and USD Lincoln cent-- continue to be minted to this day. AUD 1 cent and CAD Maple Leaf cent stopped being minted as circulating coins, but both remain legal tender where their resepctive currencies are accepted. All 5 copper coins continue to circulate and retain their status as legal tender.
| NOTE: |
|---|
| While other long-lived coins discussed in this series switched from copper to zinc or steel, only JPY 10.00 coins continue to be minted as copper coins at their (relatively) large size. Although AUD 1 cent coins were always copper coins, they only lasted 20 years. Only JPY 10.00 coins have both high copper content and longevity as copper coins. |
Just Look at the Math:
- 1 ounce copper = 28 grams
- 1 JPY 10.00 (1951-present) = 4.5 grams
So...
AUD 1 cent (1966-1991)
28 grams | 1 JPY 10.00 coin ---------+----------------- = 6.222... JPY 10.00 coins/ounce 1 ounce | 4.5 grams
If you have easy access to GBP pence coins (even if you live outside Japan), you have it made. JPY 10.00 is a heavier copper coin than its North American analogs. Of the coins discussed in this series, only GPB 2 pence coins are larger at 5.18 grams.
Where To Find Copper GBP Pence Coins
Pocket Change
If you're in Japan or any area where the Japanese Yen is accepted as legal tender, then this paragraph from Part 1 of "How To Invest in Copper" applies:
As long as we can still use cash, we'll still get change after we buy things. As long as we still get charged sales tax, items with nice round numbers will end up with crooked prices. Go through the pocket change and see what's worth keeping for copper content.
As of the time I posted Part 5, that hasn't changed.
I haven't seen JPY 10.00 coins in circulation even by by accident. However, brick and mortar coin shops, and flea markets, are good places to find them. I would have 2 reasons for holding on to these coins: either I sell them to a coin dealer after accumulating a decent quantity, or I would travel to Japan and spend them there.
Abandoned Change
Whether it's a small bill on the sidewalk or an unexpected refund months after Tax Day, found money is still a good thing. Loose coins found on the sidewalk are good, too. Since we're looking for copper coins to keep, those are copper coins we acquire at zero cost except the time it takes to retrieve them. As always, make sure the abandoned coins are not associated with someone (as at a workplace).
Purchased Rolls
You're all set if you're in Japan or in a place where Japanese coins circulate freely.
If you aren't in in Japan, then it's more difficult to buy rolls of JPY 10.00 coins.
Sites such as eBay may be the best bet, Although shipping and handling fees may be high enough to turn smiles into frowns for AUD 1 cent coins, the relatively large weight of 4.5 grams per coin may be enough to overcome that if quantity is sufficient.
Coin Dealers
Using coin dealers as a source for acquiring JPY 10.00 coins depends on the cost per coin. If the cost per coin acquired is low enough, make the buy. Buying JPY 10.00 coins doesn't make sense even in terms of small-scale ForEx unless you buy at 120 JPY/USD to sell at 80 JPY USD. For 1 pound of copper, though, you just need 101 JPY 10.00 coins.
It may be necessary to make a bulk purchase to get a good cost per coin, and the bulk purchase may include coins from other countires; some of those coins may have good copper content, so it's still OK. On a per-coin basis, JPY 10.00 alone is costly. When JPY 10.00 coins are paired with a good amount of coins denominatd in GBP, EUR, CHF (Swiss Franc), and even CAD and AUD, then the costs per coin become tolerable.
Online
eBay and other well-established online online marketplaces could be used. Lesser known online dealers or shops specializing in coins could be used. Given our preference for decentralized sources (preferably using blockchain and cryptocurrencies), try those first before using more established places.
For online classifieds, Hivelist may have some ads for coins. If not, try the usual suspects. ("Craig, do you still run your list??")
Friends and Colleagues
For people outside Japan, this may be the best source for JYP 10.00 coins. The supply won't be steady or periodic, but it's better than no supply. If you can find even a couple of people who want to let you take them off their hands, that's more than the number of people you had yesterday. More people would be at work than in a social group (especially if their work involves travel to and from Japan), so the chances of finding people who can give you JPY 10.00 coins is greater-- not just people from Japan, but also people who were tourists there.
Why Invest in Copper?
This is what I said in Part 1 of "How To Invest in Copper,":
Buying copper is definitely not a "get rich quick scheme." Most copper purchased is for industrial use and in massive quantities. For quantities of copper as measured in pounds, it may be better to get from from scrap; there are people who do well by making the rounds to gather scrap from obsolete machines or appliances, but that's a job in itself.
Most people don't have that kind of access to resources, financing, or time. So it's left to circulating currency to help us here.
At the time I post Part 5 of this series, JPY 10.00 coins remain legal tender. I haven't heard any talk or rumors of a change in metal content as what happened with the North American cents and GBP pence coins. Nor have I heard talk of demonetizing JPY 10.00 coins (or even the aluminum JPY 01.00 coins). It looks as if JPY 10.00 coins (not to mention USD Lincoln cents) will become demonetized or disappear altogether the day CBDCs-- Central Bank Digital Currencies-- go online. If China can roll out its digital yuan/renmimbi, then that day is sooner than we think.
After JPY 10.00 coins become demonetized-- not this year, and not next year either-- these things can be done with them:
- People who have sufficient quantities of JPY 10.00 coins can sell them to a scrap yard for their melting price. If the scrap yard is local, it may even be possible to avoid costs associsted with travel and transportation.
- Melt or no melt, the JPY 10.00 coins can be used for barter or exchange (provided both parties in the barter or exchange know about JPY 10.00 coins).
- For those of us talented in arts and crafts, it's possible to use these copper JPY 10.00 coins to make items selling for dollars per unit (provided demand exists for the items, of course).
Why Use JPY 10.00 Coins?
Inside Japan and areas where JPY circulates freely, saving Japanese Yen coins is similar to people Stateside saving Lincoln cents.
Outside Japan and areas where JPY is accepted as legal tender, JPY 10.00 coins would be a good source of copper coins in relation to other copper coins in the wild, if not in circulation.
While not as accessible as USD Lincoln cents Stateside, JPY 10.00 coins cents remain accessible enough to be afterthoughts. So were silver Japanese coins until 1965 became 1966.
At worst, JPY 10.00 coins can always be swapped out for more acceptable money and then used to purchase small amounts of silver or cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrency would be ideal for many reasons. Should there be circumstances requiring physical media of exchange, precious metals can take their rightful place. If precious metals are impractical for certain kinds of transactions, copper is still useful as both a medium of exchange and as a raw material; continued theft of network cables and coaxial cables shows this.
While there is dispute that Budweiser is "The King of Beers," no one disputes that Bitcoin is the King of Cryptocurrencies and USD remains the fiat currency around which all others revolve. Just as Etherum has proven to be just as important in the cryptocurrency world as Bitcoin, JPY remains one of the most traded fiat currencies in the world. For those reasons, if we get excited over acquiring free Satoshis, we should be even more excited when we find JPY 10.00 coins to keep for a post-fiat currency future.
Most people don't have access to industrial-scale resources, financing, or time. So it's left to circulating currency to help us here. JPY still qualifies as a circulating currency, as do USD, CAD, GBP, and AUD.
As with USD Lincoln cents, think of saving JPY 10.00 coins as a way of earning passive income via copper. If you're tired of today's entertainment options-- including dubbed or subbed anime-- on television, silver screen, and streaming media these days, then saving JPY 10.00 coins is a more rewarding use of your time (especially if you get into coin roll hunting as a passtime). Provided you have access to them somehow, saving JPY 10.00 coins along with the cents and pence discussed earlier in this series would be a good habit to develop in order to gain copper on a personal scale.
Much of what I wrote regarding copper USD Lincoln cents, copper CAD Maple Leaf cents, decimalized copper GBP pence coins, AUD cents coins, and JPY 10.00 coins can be modified for legal tender copper coins from other countries. In future posts I'll write posts about other world coins which have good-to-great copper content; one post will feature legal tender copper coins, the other post will feature demonetized copper coins.
Before those posts, the sidebar I wanted to include in Part 5 regarding my experiences with JPY 10.00 coins becomes it's own post, [Part 6: SIDEBAR-- My Experiences with JPY 10.00 Coins].
| DISCLAIMER |
|---|
| As I am not a financial expert, this post is not meant to give financial advice. This post was written for informational purposes only in the hopes that it may be useful to anyone who is in a position to take advantage of it. |
The "How Anyone Can Invest in Copper" Series:
Part 1: USD Lincoln Cents |
Part 2: CAD Maple Leaf Cents |
Part 3: GBP Pence Coins (Decimalized) |
Part 4: AUD Cents Coins |
Part 5: JPY 10.00 Coins |
Part 6: SIDEBAR-- My Experiences with JPY 10.00 Coins (Coming Soon) |