Japan Meiji the Great 2 Sen

History

2 Sen 1873-1892, Y# 18, Japan, Meiji the Great

2 Sen 1873-1892, Y# 18, Japan, Meiji the Great, Y# 18.1 square scales (left), Y#18.2 V-scales on dragon's body (right)

Obverse. Photo © Numismatic Guaranty Company

Description

Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), or Meiji the Great, was the 122nd Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death on 30 July 1912. He presided over the Meiji period, a time of rapid change that witnessed the Empire of Japan rapidly transform from an isolationist feudal state to industrialized world power.

At the time of Emperor Meiji's birth in 1852, Japan was an isolated, pre-industrial, feudal country dominated by the Tokugawa shogunate and the daimyōs, who ruled over the country's more than 250 decentralized domains.[citation needed] By the time of his death in 1912, Japan had undergone an extensive political, economic, and social revolution and emerged as one of the great powers on the world stage.

Since the modern era, when an Emperor of Japan dies they are given a posthumous name. Such a name is a combination of the era of which they reigned and coincides with the Emperor's contribution to the throne whilst they were alive. Therefore, while publicly known during his life merely as "The Emperor", he is historically known as "Emperor Meiji" after his death. He obtained this current title in reference to the Meiji period which spanned almost the entirety of his reign. His personal name (which is not used in any formal or official context, except for his signature) was Mutsuhito (睦仁).

Obverse	Legendary creature (dragon, unicorn etc.) Dragon Depicts entwined Dragon, surrounded by the state name ("Empire of the Rising Sun"), date and value in English. Japanese dragons (日本の竜 Nihon no ryū) are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Most Japanese ones are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet. The date is clockwise (right-to-left) and begins with the symbols for the era name Meiji (明治), followed by the era year, and ends with the symbol for year (年). On type Y# 18.1 the scales on the dragon's body are square-shaped. On type Y# 18.2, they are V-shaped. · 年三十治明 · 本日大 · · 2 SEN ·
Reverse	Coat of arms Imperial Seal of Japan Tree, flower, plant etc. Chrysanthemum, Paulownia Depicts a value ("2 sen") in the centre, the Imperial Seal and value ("50 for one yen") above, within branches of Paulownia flower (heart-shaped leaf). The Imperial Seal of Japan, also called the Chrysanthemum Seal, Chrysanthemum Flower Seal or Imperial chrysanthemum emblem, is one of the national seals and a crest (mon) used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the Imperial Family. The symbol is a yellow or orange chrysanthemum with black or red outlines and background. A central disc is surrounded by a front set of 16 petals. A rear set of 16 petals are half staggered in relation to the front set and are visible at the edges of the flower. An example of the chrysanthemum being used is in the badge for the Order of the Chrysanthemum. 圓一換枚十五二錢
Edge	Plain