Current circulation · 2021–present
Japan 500 Yen Bicolor Clad Coin
Issued from 2021, the current 500 yen coin combines a bicolor, three-layer clad structure with micro lettering, latent images, and helical edge ridges of two pitches. It is the third regular 500 yen design generation.
五百円バイカラー・クラッド貨幣ごひゃくえんバイカラー・クラッドかへいgohyaku-en baikara kuraddo kahei
- Years
- 2021–present
- Composition
- Copper 75%, zinc 12.5%, nickel 12.5%; bicolor clad structure
- Diameter / weight
- 26.5 mm · 7.1 g
- Official status
- Currently issued
Context
History and monetary setting
The denomination began with a 1982–1999 cupronickel coin and continued with a 2000–2021 nickel-brass coin. Both older types remain valid in use, while the bicolor clad generation is currently issued.
Attribution
How to identify the type
Confirm the two-color structure, paulownia obverse, bamboo and tachibana reverse, 7.1 gram standard, and alternating-pitch helical edge. The three regular generations share a 26.5 mm diameter, so diameter alone is insufficient.
Collecting
What to record
Catalog the 1982 cupronickel, 2000 nickel-brass, and 2021 bicolor clad designs separately. Security features are identification aids, but suspected counterfeits require expert in-hand examination.
Official specifications
Status checked 2026-07-28.
- Composition
- Copper 75%, zinc 12.5%, nickel 12.5%; bicolor clad structure
- Diameter
- 26.5 mm
- Weight
- 7.1 g
- Thickness
- Not stated by cited official sources
- Edge
- Helical ridges with two different pitches
- Obverse
- Paulownia
- Reverse
- Bamboo, citrus tachibana, denomination, and latent images
Type history
Principal design generations
Each card is a separate catalog generation. Current issue, valid-old status, and historical scope remain distinct.
Cupronickel 500 Yen
Valid; not currently issuedPaulownia, bamboo, tachibana, denomination, and era date
- Composition
- Copper 75%, nickel 25%
- Diameter
- 26.5 mm
- Weight
- 7.2 g
- Thickness
- Not stated by cited official sources
- Edge
- Incuse lettering
- Hole
- None
Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen
Valid; not currently issuedPaulownia, bamboo, tachibana, denomination, latent image, microdots, and microlines
- Composition
- Copper 72%, zinc 20%, nickel 8%
- Diameter
- 26.5 mm
- Weight
- 7 g
- Thickness
- Not stated by cited official sources
- Edge
- Helical ridges
- Hole
- None
Bicolor Clad 500 Yen
Currently issuedPaulownia, bamboo, tachibana, bicolor structure, latent images, and micro lettering
- Composition
- Copper 75%, zinc 12.5%, nickel 12.5%; bicolor clad
- Diameter
- 26.5 mm
- Weight
- 7.1 g
- Thickness
- Not stated by cited official sources
- Edge
- Irregular helical ridges with two pitches
- Hole
- None
Annual manufacture
Official year-name totals through 2025
Totals are pieces, normalized from the Japan Mint table's thousands-of-pieces unit. Commemoratives are excluded. Business strikes and proofs are not separated by the source.
| Era date | Gregorian | Generation | Reported total | Business strikes | Proofs | Evidence note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showa 57 | 1982 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 300,000,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 58 | 1983 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 240,000,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 59 | 1984 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 342,850,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 60 | 1985 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 97,150,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 61 | 1986 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 49,960,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 62 | 1987 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 2,775,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 63 | 1988 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 148,218,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Showa 64 | 1989 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 16,042,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 1 | 1989 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 192,852,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 2 | 1990 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 159,953,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 3 | 1991 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 170,120,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 4 | 1992 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 88,130,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 5 | 1993 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 132,240,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 6 | 1994 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 105,772,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 7 | 1995 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 182,869,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 8 | 1996 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 99,213,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 9 | 1997 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 173,090,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 10 | 1998 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 214,608,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 11 | 1999 | Cupronickel 500 Yen | 165,120,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 12 | 2000 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 595,969,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 13 | 2001 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 608,051,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 14 | 2002 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 504,661,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 15 | 2003 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 438,405,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 16 | 2004 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 356,903,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 17 | 2005 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 345,030,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 18 | 2006 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 381,593,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 19 | 2007 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 409,903,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 20 | 2008 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 432,811,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 21 | 2009 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 343,003,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 22 | 2010 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 406,905,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 23 | 2011 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 301,936,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 24 | 2012 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 267,211,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 25 | 2013 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 137,892,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 26 | 2014 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 167,013,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 27 | 2015 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 143,004,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 28 | 2016 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 221,064,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 29 | 2017 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 426,327,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 30 | 2018 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 286,192,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Heisei 31 | 2019 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 126,164,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 1 | 2019 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 76,956,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 2 | 2020 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen | 143,928,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 3 | 2021 | Nickel-Brass Security 500 Yen + Bicolor Clad 500 Yen | 354,933,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 4 | 2022 | Bicolor Clad 500 Yen | 302,474,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 5 | 2023 | Bicolor Clad 500 Yen | 362,527,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 6 | 2024 | Bicolor Clad 500 Yen | 336,227,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
| Reiwa 7 | 2025 | Bicolor Clad 500 Yen | 355,071,000 | Not separately reported | Not separately reported | Proof/business split not separately reported |
Design and symbolism
What the motifs communicate
Paulownia, bamboo, and tachibana persist while metal structure, edge treatment, and security features evolve.
Collecting
How to organize the series
Catalog the 1982, 2000, and 2021 generations separately. The three share 26.5 mm diameter, so metal, mass, edge, color structure, and security features are decisive.
Grading
Surface and wear checkpoints
Separate circulation wear from damage to the edge and security elements; prooflike brightness is not proof manufacture without the correct mint-product context.
Authentication
Generation-correct diagnostics
Use generation-correct 7.2/7.0/7.1 g mass, edge, alloy or bicolor structure, latent images, micro-detail, and official-design alignment. Suspected counterfeits need expert in-hand review.
Major diagnostics and varieties
Check alloy or bicolor structure, generation-correct mass, edge, latent image, microdots or microlettering, and irregular helical ridges.
Security features
Identification aids do not replace expert in-hand counterfeit examination.
Official anti-counterfeit features of the nickel-brass generation.
Official security system introduced with the current 500 yen coin on 1 November 2021.
reportedTotal is official year-name manufacture; businessStrikeMintage and proofMintage remain null when the official table does not separate them.
Continue browsing
Related Japan references
Evidence
Sources and scope
These links support the claims on this page. Source authority does not imply permission to republish source images.
Currently issued and valid older coin designs, first issue years, compositions, diameters, and weights.
Open sourceCurrent six coin denominations, designs, edges, first issue years, and technical specifications.
Open sourceCoin-set product boundary and legal-tender coin contents.
Open sourceOfficial 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 sourceLatent image, helical ridges, microdots, and microlines
Open source1 November 2021 issue, bicolor-clad structure, mass, size, edge, and microlettering
Open source