Meiji 2 Sen

The Meiji 2 Sen coin was among the first Japanese issues produced at the newly established Osaka Mint, using steam-powered presses imported from Britain. That alone marked a bold leap from feudal coinage to modern manufacturing, all in the span of a single emperor's reign.

Details on its design are straightforward: a central chrysanthemum motif, flanked by the denomination in kanji, all struck on a bronze alloy. We know the mint aimed for uniformity, but variations in edge reeding suggest quality control wasn't perfect yet. As for mintage, records from that era are spotty; most were likely destroyed in later fires or wars, so exact figures remain a mystery.

One oddity: some specimens show faint traces of older Spanish reales in their metal composition, hinting at recycled sources. Don't ask me why; perhaps it was a frugal decision in uncertain times. I've seen plenty of these over the years, and while myths abound about their rarity, the truth is they're common enough in collections—if you know where to look.