The design is on the Ministry of Finance current list.
Official status checked 2026-07-28
Current and Valid Japanese Coins
Officially checked current-issue and valid older Japanese coin designs, with specifications and status boundaries as of 2026-07-28.
Currently issued
Six current designs
1 Yen Aluminum Coin
- First issue
- 1955
- Diameter
- 20 mm
- Weight
- 1 g
Aluminum 100%
→
5 Yen Brass Coin
- First issue
- 1959
- Diameter
- 22 mm
- Weight
- 3.75 g
Copper 60–70%, zinc 40–30%
→
10 Yen Bronze Coin
- First issue
- 1959
- Diameter
- 23.5 mm
- Weight
- 4.5 g
Copper 95%, zinc 3–4%, tin 1–2%
→
50 Yen Cupronickel Coin
- First issue
- 1967
- Diameter
- 21 mm
- Weight
- 4 g
Copper 75%, nickel 25%
→
100 Yen Cupronickel Coin
- First issue
- 1967
- Diameter
- 22.6 mm
- Weight
- 4.8 g
Copper 75%, nickel 25%
→
500 Yen Bicolor Clad Coin
- First issue
- 2021
- Diameter
- 26.5 mm
- Weight
- 7.1 g
Copper 75%, zinc 12.5%, nickel 12.5%; bicolor clad structure
→Valid in use
Older designs that are not currently issued
Legal validity does not mean that a design is still being produced or commonly encountered.
| Design | Years | Composition | Diameter | Weight | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 Yen Nickel-Brass Coin五百円ニッケル黄銅貨幣 | 2000–2021 | Copper 72%, zinc 20%, nickel 8% | 26.5 mm | 7 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 500 Yen Cupronickel Coin五百円白銅貨幣 | 1982–1999 | Copper 75%, nickel 25% | 26.5 mm | 7.2 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 100 Yen Silver Coin (Phoenix)百円銀貨幣（鳳凰） | 1957–1958 | Silver 60%, copper 30%, zinc 10% | 22.6 mm | 4.8 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 100 Yen Silver Coin (Rice)百円銀貨幣（稲穂） | 1959–1966 | Silver 60%, copper 30%, zinc 10% | 22.6 mm | 4.8 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 50 Yen Nickel Coin (Solid)五十円ニッケル貨幣（無孔） | 1955–1958 | Nickel 100% | 25 mm | 5.5 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 50 Yen Nickel Coin (Holed)五十円ニッケル貨幣（有孔） | 1959–1966 | Nickel 100% | 25 mm | 5 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 10 Yen Bronze Coin (Milled Edge)十円青銅貨幣（ギザあり） | 1951–1958 | Copper 95%, zinc 3–4%, tin 1–2% | 23.5 mm | 4.5 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 5 Yen Brass Coin (Unholed)五円黄銅貨幣（無孔） | 1948–1949 | Copper 60–70%, zinc 40–30% | 22 mm | 4 g | Valid; not currently issued |
| 5 Yen Brass Coin (Kaisho Lettering)五円黄銅貨幣（楷書体） | 1949–1958 | Copper 60–70%, zinc 40–30% | 22 mm | 3.75 g | Valid; not currently issued |
Postwar type history
Six denominations, sixteen principal generations
Browse by denomination for exact generation images, official specifications, annual manufacture, symbolism, security, collecting, grading, and authentication.
Legal validity does not mean current manufacture.
The brass 1 yen is in the lineage but not on the current valid-old list.
Official year-name totals preserve zero, unavailable, and era transitions.
The Japan Mint annual table reports totals in thousands of pieces, rounds sub-thousand remainders, excludes commemoratives, and does not separately identify business strikes and proofs.
Evidence
Sources and scope
These links support the claims on this page. Source authority does not imply permission to republish source images.
Official status, composition, mass, diameter, and issue spans
Open sourceCurrent specifications, edges, and designs
Open sourceOlder valid status and official issue chronology
Open sourceAnnual design-generation manufacturing totals, source units, zeros, dashes, and exclusions
Open source5 yen lettering change, coin holes, proof manufacture, and set context
Open source