1 Yen - Meiji Counterfeit

Meiji era year 63 corresponds to 1930 — but Emperor Meiji died in 1912, and his era ended at year 45. There is no legitimate Japanese coinage bearing a Meiji year 63 designation, which is precisely the point. These pieces were produced as contemporary counterfeits, likely circulated in occupied Manchuria and coastal China during a period when Japanese silver yen carried broad transactional acceptance across East Asia. The fabricated reign year was apparently sufficient to pass in markets where close scrutiny was uncommon.