Crow 1 Sen (Brass)
一銭黄銅貨

Year: Showa 13,　3.71 g,　23.0 mm

Data

Issued / Banned: Showa 13 (1938) / Showa 28 (1953)
Manufacturing Period: Taisho 5 (1916) - Showa 13 (1938)
Number of Mintage: 113,600,000
Material:　Copper:900　Zinc:100
Diameter:　23.03 mm
Weight:　3.75 g
Design: Face - Crest of chrysanthemum and paulownia, Octagonal mirror, Ocean wave / Back - Cherry blossom and "Yatagarasu" (Sacred Crow)

Since the war between China and Japan occurred in 1937, Japanese government had to secure the metals for military goods. The new law was promulgated in Showa 13 (1938), which make the government change the specification of coins without the revise of the Currency Law stated in Meiji 30. This coin was issued 1n 13 under the newly started law.
1 Sen (Bronze) includes the 4 % of tin which was not yielded in Japan and is important for using military goods as well as nickel. Instead of bronze, the alloy made from copper and zinc, brass, was adopted.
There are many kinds of brass according to the composition. 30-40 % of zinc content is most popular, but this coin contains only 10 % of zinc. This alloy is called Tombac brass, whose color is more reddish than popular brass. Tombac had been used for coins also in Canada during WW II as well.
The war continued and copper also got in short. Issuance of this coin was stop in the same year the material was changed to aluminum.
It is said that this coin was poplular among the people in those days due to its gold like color and luster when it was new.

Large amount of coins were produced for only a half year, and many coins were stored away. A VF grade coin worths 100 yen and uncirculated one can be found comparatively easily.

Yatagarasu is a crow appears in "Nihon Shoki" or "Chronicle of Japan", an old history book in Japan in 8 centuries. It is said that this crow lead the Emperor Jinmu who is the 1st emperor of Japan , when he entered into Yamato district of Japan.
The China Japan War was prolonged and widened to south east asia and the pacific. Diet of Japan legislated "National Mobilization Law" to emphasis the nationalism , control news media and people's opinion. Yatagarasu was used for this coin under such circumstances.
Yatagarasu used in coins has 2 legs in spite that it was often drawn as a crow with 3 legs. Although the original number are not clear, one explanation holds that it was confused with three-legged crow, a mythological creature in south east asian.

Released: Apr 30, 2022