Coin Japan 1 Fen - Flag - Puyi Year 3 - 1934 - Bronze

1 Fen ? Manchukuo (Manchuria)

Currency of the State of Manchukuo under Japanese influence

The 1 fen coin of Manchukuo belongs to the coinage issued by the State of Manchukuo, created in 1932 in Manchuria under Japanese control. This state, officially presented as independent, was placed under the authority of Emperor Puyi, the last sovereign of the Qing dynasty.

The coinage of Manchukuo differs markedly from contemporary Japanese issues. It adopts its own iconography, based on Chinese characters and political symbols intended to assert the identity of the new state.

Historical context

Manchukuo was established after the invasion of Manchuria by Japan in 1931. Although presented as an independent state, it was largely administered by the Japanese authorities.

The creation of a specific currency responded to a political objective: to give an appearance of sovereignty to the new state. The coins therefore adopt Chinese inscriptions and symbols distinct from metropolitan Japanese coins, although their production was strongly supervised by Japan.

The choice of floral motifs and the national flag reflects a desire for visual legitimation and propaganda, characteristic of the coinage of this period.