500 yen coin (commemorative)

Five-hundred yen
Japan
Value500 Japanese yen
EdgeReeded
CompositionVaries by issue
Years of minting1985–2020[a]
Catalog number-
Obverse
DesignVaries by year
Reverse
DesignVaries by year

The 500 yen coin (五百円硬貨, Gohyaku-en kōka) is a denomination of the Japanese yen. In addition to being used as circulating currency, this denomination has also been used to make commemorative coins struck by the Japan Mint. These coins are intended for collectors only and were never issued for circulation.

Composition

Years Material
1985–1999 75% copper, 25% nickel
(Cupronickel)
2002–2009 72% copper, 20% zinc, 8% nickel
(Nickel-brass)
2008–present 75% copper, 12.5% zinc, 12.5% nickel
(Bi-metallic)

Commemorative coins

Throughout the coin's history, the Japan Mint has issued 500 yen coins commemorating the various subjects of Japan's history. Early commemorative coins minted under the Shōwa era have their dates of reign written in Kanji script. This practice was later replaced by adding Arabic numerals to reflect the current Emperor's year of reign.

1985–1999 (Cupronickel)

Image Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage[b] Reason
六十 (60)
Shōwa[c] 		1985 70,000,000[1] Tsukuba Exposition '85[2]
六十 (60)
Shōwa 		1985 70,000,000[3] Centennial of the Foundation of the Cabinet System[4]
六十一 (61)
Shōwa 		1986 50,000,000[5] Hirohito's 60th year of reign[6]
六十二 (62)
Shōwa 		1987 01 Unknown[7] Hirohito's 60th year of reign
63
Shōwa 		1988 20,000,000[8] Opening of Seto Bridge[9]
63
Shōwa 		1988 20,000,000[10] Opening of Seikan Tunnel (1988)[11]
2
Heisei 		1990 30,000,000[12] Enthronement of Emperor Akihito[13]
四 (4)
Heisei 		1992 19,950,000[14]
(50,000) 		020 20th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan[15]
五 (5)
Heisei 		1993 29,800,000[16]
(200,000) 		Wedding of Crown Prince Naruhito[17]
6
Heisei 		1994 19,900,000[18]
(100,000) 		Opening of Kansai International Airport[19]
6
Heisei 		1994 09 9,900,000[20]
(100,000) 		1994 Asian Games - Running[21]
6
Heisei 		1994 09 9,900,000[22]
(100,000) 		1994 Asian Games - Swimming[23]
6
Heisei 		1994 09 9,900,000[24]
(100,000) 		1994 Asian Games - Jumping[25]
9
Heisei 		1997 19,867,000[26]
(133,000) 		Nagano Olympics (Snowboarding)[27]
9
Heisei 		1997 19,867,000[28]
(133,000) 		Nagano Olympics (Bobsledding)[29]
10
Heisei 		1998 19,867,000[30]
(133,000) 		Nagano Olympics (Acrobatic Skier)[31]
11
Heisei 		1999 14,900,000[32]
(Unknown) 		010 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[33]

2002–2009 (Nickel-brass)

Image Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage Reason
14
Heisei[d] 		2002 10,000,000 2002 FIFA World Cup - (Europe & Africa)[34]
14
Heisei 		2002 10,000,000 2002 FIFA World Cup - (Asia & Oceania)[35]
14
Heisei 		2002 10,000,000 2002 FIFA World Cup - (North & South America)[36]
17
Heisei 		2005 08 8,241,000 EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN[37]
17
Heisei 		2005 03 50,000[e]
(Silver) 		Opening of Chūbu Centrair International Airport[38]
19
Heisei 		2007 06 6,600,000 50th anniversary of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition[39]
20
Heisei 		2008 04 4,800,000 Centenary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil - Japan-Brazil Year of Exchange[40]
21
Heisei 		2009 09 9,950,000[f] 020 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[41]

2008–2016

60th Anniversary of Enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law
Starting in 2008, a program similar to the American 50 State Quarters was put into place which honors all 47 of Japan's prefectures. This was done by celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law in the form of 47 different commemorative coins (designs on obverse side). This program ran until 2016, concluding with the final issues for Tokyo and Fukushima.
Various obverse designs have been used for the different prefectures (Nagano shown here)
Reverse design for the Local Autonomy Law series
Japanese date Gregorian date Prefecture[42] Mintage[43] Elements depicted
20 2008 Hokkaido 2,100,000 Lake Toya and the former Hokkaido government office building[44][45]
Kyoto 2,050,000 Scene 2 from Chapter 49 of The Tale of Genji[46][47]
Shimane 1,970,000 Dōtaku discovered from the Kamoiwakura Remains in Unnan City[48][49]
21 2009 Nagano 1,830,000 Zenkoji Temple and an Ox (Bodhisattva of Mercy)[50][51]
Niigata 1,840,000 Pair of Japanese Crested Ibises and Rice Terrace[52][53]
Ibaraki 1,870,000 Kairakuen Garden and Japanese Apricot Tree[54][55]
Nara 1,800,000 Kentoshi-sen (ships used for royal envoys to China during the Tang dynasty)[56][57]
22 2010 Kochi 1,960,000 Bust of Sakamoto Ryōma (born in Kōchi)[58][59]
Gifu 1,860,000 Shirakawa-go and Chinese milk vetch[60][61]
Fukui 1,830,000 Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus (discovered in the prefecture)[62][63]
Aichi 1,950,000 Aichi Prefectural Government Office and rabbit-ear iris[64][65]
Aomori 1,900,000 Sannai-Maruyama Site and Clay Figurine[66][67]
Saga 1,910,000 Ōkuma Shigenobu, and his associated craft Saga Nishiki[68][69][g]
23 2011 Toyama 1,800,000 Owara Kaze-no-bon Festival[70]
Tottori 1,770,000 Sanbutsu-ji Temple (The Nageire Hall)[71]
Kumamoto 1,870,000 Kumamoto Castle[72]
Shiga 1,770,000 Biwa Catfish and Round Crucian Carp[73]
Iwate 1,790,000 Kyokusui-no-en (Water Poetry Party) at Mōtsū-ji temple[74]
Akita 1,740,000 Nobu Shirase and the Akita Kantō festival[75]
24 2012 Okinawa 1,760,000 Naha Tug-of-war and Eisa Folk dance[76]
Kanagawa 1,890,000 Daibutsu (Great Buddha) of Kamakura[77]
Miyazaki 1,740,000 Miyazaki Prefectural Government - Main Building[78]
Tochigi 1,800,000 Nemuri-neko (Sleeping cat) and Sparrows (sculptures)[79]
Oita 1,790,000 Usuki Stone Buddha[80]
Hyōgo 1,800,000 Pair of Oriental storks[81]
25 2013 Miyagi 1,700,000 Sendai Tanabata Festival[82]
Hiroshima 1,700,000 Atomic Bomb Dome and Memorial Park[83]
Gunma 1,720,000 Keystone, and a female worker from the Tomioka Silk Mill[84]
Okayama 1,660,000 Okayama Korakuen Garden[85]
Shizuoka 1,700,000 Mount Fuji and a tea plantation[86]
Yamanashi 1,670,000 Mount Fuji and grapes[87]
Kagoshima 1,660,000 Mount Sakurajima[88]
26 2014 Ehime 1,650,000 Nishiseto Expressway and the islands of Ehime[89]
Yamagata 1,660,000 Jōmon Dogū (prehistoric goddess figure)[90]
Mie 1,670,000 Kumano Kodō Iseji[91]
Kagawa 1,630,000 Scenery of Sanuki as viewed from Kotohira-gū shrine[92]
Saitama 1,780,000 Saitama Stadium 2002[93]
Ishikawa 1,660,000 Mount Haku as seen from Kibagata Park and the Abare Festival[94]
27 2015 Yamaguchi 1,610,000 Five-story pagoda of Ruriko-ji Temple[95]
Tokushima 1,630,000 Awa Dance Festival[96]
Fukuoka 1,680,000 Kyushu National Museum, Dazaifu Tenmangū Shrine, and Plum Blossoms[97]
Wakayama 1,610,000 Nachi Falls[98]
Osaka 1,700,000 Burial mound of Emperor Nintoku[99]
Nagasaki 1,600,000 Oura Cathedral and a stained glass rose window[100]
Chiba 1,680,000 Kujūkuri Beach[101]
28 2016 Fukushima 1,620,000 Sōma's Nomaoi Festival[102]
Tokyo 1,720,000 Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Building)[103]

2017–present

Image Japanese date Gregorian date Mintage Reason
31
Heisei 		2019 5,000,000 30th anniversary of the enthronement of Akihito[104]
元 (1)
Reiwa 		2019 5,000,000[h] Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito to the Chrysanthemum Throne[105][106]
2
Reiwa 		2020 4,000,000 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics: Raijin[107]
2020 4,000,000 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics: Fujin

Notes

  1. ^ Non consecutive
  2. ^ Proof mintages are in parentheses
  3. ^ 60th year of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito)'s reign, Emperor Heisei (Akihito) was not crowned emperor until 1989
  4. ^ 14th year of Emperor Heisei (Akihito)'s reign
  5. ^ This is the only silver 500 yen commemorative coin ever issued
  6. ^ 50,000 proof coins were made
  7. ^ Shigenobu introduced Saga Nishiki and Kashima Nishiki overseas[68]
  8. ^ 30,000 of these coins were issued alongside their 10,000 yen counterparts via coin sets.

References

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  4. ^ [2] Archived 2013-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Japan Mint. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  5. ^ "Japan 500 Yen Y# 90 Yr.61(1986)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  6. ^ [3] Archived 2013-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Japan Mint. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  7. ^ "Japan 500 Yen Y# 90 Yr.62(1987)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  8. ^ "Japan 500 Yen Y# 94 Yr.63(1988)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  9. ^ "Seto Bridge Opening 500 yen Cupronickel Coin". Japan Mint. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  10. ^ "Japan 500 Yen Y# 93 Yr.63(1988)". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  11. ^ [4] Archived 2013-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Japan Mint. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
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External links

  • Commemorative coins issued - Japan Mint website (In English)
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