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Representative issue study

Taisho 9 (1920) Small Holed 5 Sen

The reduced holed type demonstrates that hole size, diameter, and mass define the generation.

大正九年小型五銭白銅貨

Obverse of the Taisho 9 (1920) 5 Sen of Japan Reverse of the Taisho 9 (1920) 5 Sen of Japan
As6673, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; deterministic crop and conversion. · Exact dated pair
Date
大正九年 (1920)
Denomination
5 Sen
Material
cupronickel
Issue class
regular-circulation

Context

Historical and monetary setting

It replaced the larger 1917 holed cupronickel design and continued into early Showa.

Identification

How to classify the object

Measure coin and central hole; compare character placement and surface before attribution.

Evidence boundary

What this page does not claim

Do not merge it with the larger 1917 type.

Issue evidence

Specifications, grading, and authentication

Mass
2.62 g
Diameter
19.09 mm
Hole
3.9 mm
Edge
plain
Production year
1920
Legal issue year
1920

Material-specific grading

Nickel alloys: assess strike weakness, marks, dull luster, corrosion, and cleaning.

Authentication

Verify weight, diameter, thickness, alloy, magnetism, hole, edge, date and character style, die alignment, and evidence of casting, plating, altered dates, fake patina, or modern reproduction. Do not use destructive testing.

Continue

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.

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
History of holed coinage Japan Mint

Taishō holed 5- and 10-sen designs, material saving, anti-counterfeiting, and the unissued Yatagarasu 10 sen.

Open source
File-level licensed Japan coin photographs Wikimedia Commons

Image identity and file-level reuse metadata only; historical claims are verified elsewhere.

Open source