Shōwa · 1926–1989
Shōwa Coinage: Prewar, Wartime, and Transition
This bounded Shōwa guide covers prewar nickel, wartime substitute materials, surrender-period bridge coins, and the early modern yen redesigns through 1957.
昭和の貨幣
- Core routes
- 20
- Issue studies
- 14
- Exact image pairs
- 15
- Indexable routes
- 0
Context
Historical and monetary setting
Shōwa contains several different monetary environments. The page therefore branches into prewar, wartime, emergency-material, pattern/unissued, and postwar-transition routes rather than presenting one uninterrupted type list.
Identification
How to classify the object
The same denomination may pass through nickel, aluminum-bronze, aluminum, tin, brass, and later cupronickel generations. Each generation requires its own specifications.
Evidence boundary
What this page does not claim
The route stops before full contemporary mintage and collector-guide expansion.
| Series | Denomination | Years | Material | Mass g | Diameter mm | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holed 5 Sen Nickel | 5 Sen | 1933–1937 | nickel | 2.8 | 19 | holed |
| Holed 10 Sen Nickel | 10 Sen | 1933–1937 | nickel | 4 | 22 | holed |
| Taisho–Showa 1 Sen Bronze Continuation | 1 Sen | 1916–1938 | copper | 3.75 | 23.03 | solid |
| Taisho–Showa Phoenix 50 Sen Continuation | 50 Sen | 1922–1938 | silver | 4.95 | 23.5 | solid |
| 1 Sen Brass | 1 Sen | 1938–1940 | copper | 3.75 | 23.03 | solid |
| 1 Sen Aluminum | 1 Sen | 1938–1943 | aluminum | 0.9 / 0.65 / 0.55 | 17.5 / 16 | solid |
| 1 Sen Tin-Zinc | 1 Sen | 1944–1945 | tin | 1.3 | 15 | solid |
| 5 Sen Aluminum-Bronze | 5 Sen | 1938–1940 | copper | 2.8 | 19 | holed |
| 5 Sen Aluminum | 5 Sen | 1940–1943 | aluminum | 1.2 / 1 / 0.8 | 19 | holed |
| 5 Sen Tin | 5 Sen | 1944–1946 | tin | 1.95 / 2 | 17 | holed |
| 10 Sen Aluminum-Bronze | 10 Sen | 1938–1940 | copper | 4 | 22 | holed |
| 10 Sen Aluminum | 10 Sen | 1940–1943 | aluminum | 1.5 / 1.2 / 1 | 22 | solid |
| 10 Sen Tin | 10 Sen | 1944–1946 | tin | 2.4 | 19 | holed |
| Postwar 10 Sen Aluminum | 10 Sen | 1946–1946 | aluminum | 1 | 22 | solid |
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Related Taisho–Showa references
Evidence
Sources and scope
These links support the claims on this page. Source authority does not imply permission to republish source images.
Official specifications, first-issue years, legal-expiry dates, wartime and postwar regular types.
Open sourceInstitutional history, Temporary Currency Act, strategic-metal substitutions, ceramic production, surrender, occupation supervision, and postwar scrap reuse.
Open sourceGold-standard context, interwar monetary change, managed currency, war, surrender, and inflation.
Open source