Rin and sen small change

Early Meiji Copper and Bronze Coinage

The 1 rin, half-sen, 1 sen, and 2 sen denominations made decimal small change visible while old mon currency was progressively withdrawn.

明治銅貨

Obverse of an early Meiji two-sen copper coin — As6673 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · exact denomination representative

Reverse of an early Meiji two-sen copper coin — As6673 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · exact denomination representative

Core routes: 15
Issue studies: 12
Cleared image pairs: 10
Indexable routes: 27

Context

Historical and monetary setting

Machine-struck copper and bronze pieces combined new denominations with dragon and imperial devices. Legal reform did not instantly remove every older cash coin.

Identification

How to classify the evidence

Confirm denomination, Meiji date, metal, diameter, mass, edge, dragon details, wreath, and lettering.

Evidence boundary

What this page does not claim

The page explains a gradual transition from mon and does not assert instant replacement.

Small change

From mon to rin and sen

1 Rin

1/1,000 Yen

1/2 Sen

5 Rin

1 Sen

10 Rin

2 Sen

20 Rin

Continue

Related transition references

Bakumatsu and Early Meiji Coinage Foreign Silver in Japan New Currency Act of 1871 Early Meiji Gold Coinage Early Meiji Silver Coinage Japanese era-date guide

Evidence

Sources and scope

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

Early Meiji coin display records Bank of Japan Currency Museum

Identification of early gold, silver, trade, rin, and sen coinage.

Open source

Coins from the Meiji era onward Bank of Japan Currency Museum

Official museum comparison table for modern coin denominations and specifications.

Open source

150 Years of the Japan Mint Japan Mint

Osaka mint establishment, modern machinery, institutional history, and coin standards.

Open source