The Japanese yen (円 or 圓) (sign: ¥; code: JPY) is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling. As is common when counting in East Asia, large quantities of yen are often counted in multiples of 10,000 (万) in the same way as values in Western countries are often quoted in thousands.
History
The Japanese then decided to adopt a silver dollar coinage under the name of 'yen', meaning 'a round object'. The yen was officially adopted by the Meiji government in an Act signed on May 10, 1871. The new currency was gradually introduced beginning from July of that year. The yen replaced Tokugawa coinage, a complex monetary system of the Edo period based on the mon.
Instead of displaying the CE year of mintage like most nations' coins, yen coins instead display the year of the current emperor's reign. For example, a coin minted in 2009 would bear the date Heisei 21 (the 21st year of Emperor Akihito's reign).
Due to the discovery of a large number of counterfeit Series D banknotes at the end of 2004, all Series D banknotes except ¥2000 were virtually suspended on January 17, 2005, and officially suspended on April 2, 2007.
Coins
¥1 : Obverse = young tree, state title, value
Reverse = value, year of minting
¥5 : Obverse = ear of rice, gear, water, value
Reverse = state title, year of minting
¥10 : Obverse = Hōōdō Temple, Byōdō-in, state title, value
Reverse = evergreen tree, value, year of minting
¥50 : Obverse = chrysanthemum, state title, value
Reverse = value, year of minting
¥100 : Obverse = cherry blossoms, state title, value
Reverse = value, year of minting
¥500 : Obverse = Paulownia, state title, value
Reverse = Value, bamboo, Mandarin orange, year of minting, latent image
Banknotes
¥1000 : Obverse = Noguchi Hideyo
Reverse = Mt. Fuji, Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms
¥2000 : Obverse = Shurei-mon
Reverse = Scene from the Tale of Genji and portrait of Murasaki Shikibu
¥5000 : Obverse = Higuchi Ichiyō
Reverse = "Kakitsubata-zu"
¥10000 : Obverse = Fukuzawa Yukichi
Reverse = Statue of hōō (phoenix) from Byōdō-in Temple
History
The Japanese then decided to adopt a silver dollar coinage under the name of 'yen', meaning 'a round object'. The yen was officially adopted by the Meiji government in an Act signed on May 10, 1871. The new currency was gradually introduced beginning from July of that year. The yen replaced Tokugawa coinage, a complex monetary system of the Edo period based on the mon.
Instead of displaying the CE year of mintage like most nations' coins, yen coins instead display the year of the current emperor's reign. For example, a coin minted in 2009 would bear the date Heisei 21 (the 21st year of Emperor Akihito's reign).
Due to the discovery of a large number of counterfeit Series D banknotes at the end of 2004, all Series D banknotes except ¥2000 were virtually suspended on January 17, 2005, and officially suspended on April 2, 2007.
Coins
¥1 : Obverse = young tree, state title, value
Reverse = value, year of minting
¥5 : Obverse = ear of rice, gear, water, value
Reverse = state title, year of minting
¥10 : Obverse = Hōōdō Temple, Byōdō-in, state title, value
Reverse = evergreen tree, value, year of minting
¥50 : Obverse = chrysanthemum, state title, value
Reverse = value, year of minting
¥100 : Obverse = cherry blossoms, state title, value
Reverse = value, year of minting
¥500 : Obverse = Paulownia, state title, value
Reverse = Value, bamboo, Mandarin orange, year of minting, latent image
Banknotes
¥1000 : Obverse = Noguchi Hideyo
Reverse = Mt. Fuji, Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms
¥2000 : Obverse = Shurei-mon
Reverse = Scene from the Tale of Genji and portrait of Murasaki Shikibu
¥5000 : Obverse = Higuchi Ichiyō
Reverse = "Kakitsubata-zu"
¥10000 : Obverse = Fukuzawa Yukichi
Reverse = Statue of hōō (phoenix) from Byōdō-in Temple
