Shōwa 1 Yen

The Shōwa 1 Yen coin, introduced in 1948, was struck from pure aluminum, a material choice driven by wartime shortages and the need to recycle scrap metal quickly.

This made it one of the lightest coins ever issued by Japan, weighing just over a gram. The design was straightforward: a rice stalk on one side, the chrysanthemum crest on the other, all to facilitate mass production for a nation rebuilding its economy.

Mintage figures vary by year, with records from the 1950s less precise due to administrative upheavals. We know production peaked around 1955, but exact numbers for some issues remain unclear.

Its edge is plain, not reeded, which simplified manufacturing but offered little protection against counterfeits in those chaotic times.

Some numismatists note the coin's tendency to tarnish, turning a dull gray over the years. It's almost as if the metal remembered the war.