Coin Pièce Japan 10 sen Aluminium Sh?wa Tenn? 1945-1946 Tokyo

This 10 sen coin was issued in Japan during Sh?wa years 20 and 21, corresponding to the years 1945 and 1946 of the Gregorian calendar. It is directly associated with the reign of Sh?wa Tenn?, Emperor Hirohito, whose imperial era serves as the dating reference inscribed on the coin's blank.

Struck by the monetary institute of Tokyo, this issue is set within a particular historical context: the end of World War II and the immediate post-war period in Japan. The economic and industrial constraints of this period are directly reflected in the choice of metal used: aluminium, a lightweight and inexpensive material that had gradually replaced nobler alloys as the conflict progressed.

The coin has a weight of 0.8 grams, reflecting the characteristic lightness of aluminium issues of this era. Its diameter of 17 millimetres makes it a small-sized module, consistent with the face value of 10 sen, a subdivision of the Japanese yen representing one tenth of this principal monetary unit.

The use of aluminium for these wartime emergency strikes constitutes a significant historical marker. Although not a precious metal, it allowed for sufficient monetary production to be maintained during a period when strategic resources were severely rationed. The coins of this series, due to their relative fragility and low intrinsic value, have often suffered from difficult preservation, making examples in good condition all the more sought after by collectors specialising in Japanese numismatics from the first half of the 20th century.