Japan will issue a new colorized Hokkaido commemorative silver coin featuring Japanese red-crowned cranes, a symbol of Hokkaido, flying above Hokkaido’s Lake Toya.
Japan’s Finance Minister, Fukushiro Nukaga, made the announcement Tuesday in a press conference after a cabinet meeting. Mr. Nukaga said a 1,000-yen Hokkaido commemorative coin would be issued this July in time for the Group of Eight summit, which will be held in Hokkaido.
The coin is the first in an 8-year series of 94 coins commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Local Autonomy Law, which in part, established each of Japan’s 47 prefectures. In addition to silver 1,000-yen coins, 500-yen versions will be made for each prefecture as well.
The obverse or heads side of the 1,000-yen coins will depict a design significant to each prefecture. The reverse or tails design will be identical with a crescent moon, cherry blossom flowers and snow crystals.
While the face value of the limited minted coin is 1,000-yen, its purchase price will be 6,000-yen.
Other specifications of the Hokkaido commemorative 1,000-yen coin include:
- Composition – Sterling Silver
- Weight – 31.1 g
- Diameter – 40 mm
- Mintage – 100,000
- Colors – White, black, blue green, light blue, red and green
- Official Issue Date – July 1, 2008
In December, the commemorative Hokkaido 500-yen coin will be issued as well as the coins for the Kyoto and Shimane Prefectures. The Hokkaido 500-yen coin features Lake Toya behind a former government office building. The reverse bears images of old coins.
Additional specifications of the Hokkaido commemorative 500-yen coin include:
- Composition – 75% copper, 12.5% zinc, Nickel 12.5%
- Weight – 7.1 g
- Diameter – 26.5 mm
- Mintage – To be determined
- Official Issue Date – December 2008
Images courtesy of Japan Ministry of Finance.
