Silver reduction to postwar brass

Japan 50 Sen

Follow 50 sen from large Meiji silver through the smaller 1922 Phoenix type, wartime replacement by notes, and 1946–1947 postwar brass coins.

五十銭

Context

Historical and monetary setting

The denomination shows both precious-metal reduction and the later inability to sustain silver small change.

Identification

The 1922 Phoenix silver and 1946 Phoenix brass use different specifications and must never share an unlabeled image.

Evidence boundary

The unissued 1918 Yatagarasu 50 sen is excluded from circulation.

Denomination	Yen relationship	Taisho	Showa	Postwar	Legal end
Rin	1 Rin = 1/1000 Yen	5 Rin bronze issued	none in Phase 6 national circulation	obsolete	legal use ended 1953-12-31
1 Sen	1 Sen = 1/100 Yen	small bronze type	brass and aluminum	displaced by inflation	legal use ended 1953-12-31
5 Sen	5 Sen = 1/20 Yen	large then small holed cupronickel	nickel and emergency generations	1946 tin bridge issue	legal use ended 1953-12-31
10 Sen	10 Sen = 1/10 Yen	silver then holed cupronickel	nickel and emergency generations	1946 aluminum bridge issue	legal use ended 1953-12-31
20 Sen	20 Sen = 1/5 Yen	no new regular type within normalized Phase 6 table	none	obsolete	legal use ended 1953-12-31
50 Sen	50 Sen = 1/2 Yen	reduced Phoenix silver	continued silver then postwar brass	1946 and 1947 brass bridge types	legal use ended 1953-12-31

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Evidence

These links support the claims on this page. Source authority does not imply permission to republish source images.

Coins from the Meiji era onward Bank of Japan Currency Museum

Official specifications, first-issue years, legal-expiry dates, wartime and postwar regular types.

Open source

Mint Museum guide: unissued coins Japan Mint Museum

Unissued 1918 Yatagarasu 50 sen, 1945 ceramic denominations, and unissued 1950 nickel-silver 10 yen.

Open source